This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
by girl-at-home13
Summary: Emma Taylor is just trying to survive her last year of foster care and high school when Lip and the Gallagher clan welcome her into their home. As Lip struggles to be the man of the house, he finds himself becoming fast friends with Emma and maybe something more that could be just the thing Lip needs to keep his life from becoming just like his father's.
1. Chapter 1: We All Need A Little Help

**A/N: I hope you enjoy this first chapter! Please let me know what you think in the reviews! I just recently fell in love with Shameless on Netflix and I adore Lip! This is going to be a very SLOW BURN. I mean slow. But I promise it will be full of everything you love about Shameless. This will probably be one of my most R rated story's as well!**

 **Follow the Instagram account I created for this story here: shamelesslyemma for photos of the Gallagher's, Emma, her photography and outfit guides!**

 **•••••**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Emma's Point of View**

It was five o'clock in the morning and the contractors that have been working on our piece of shit house were already at it. No one should be awake and coherent this early, yet here I am, trying to make it out of the house before Andrew, my disgusting perverted foster father stumbles in from the night shift. How that man passed every inspection to become a foster parent is beyond my comprehension. Chicago Child Services needed to take a long hard look in the mirror if they were allowing men like Andrew around children. Not that I'm a child, I'm seventeen, but the next girl could be younger. Four boys and one girl living in one home didn't always go well. I tried to make myself scarce as much as possible. Foster families aren't always the American pie we'll love you and take care you bullshit you see in the movies. Trust me, I know, I've been in the system since I was ten years old.

The whirring of a power saw radiated in the bathroom, even though it was on the opposite side of the house. Andrew was having repairs made so he could have more kids brought in to make more money. The house has been under construction since I got here a year ago. I haven't seen any progress made whatsoever. Lumber filled what little front yard we had and there were rusted nails and screws littering the front porch. This house needed to be condemned not redone.

Quickly, I turned off the semi warm water from the shower and got out. As I was about to wrap a towel around myself the bathroom door swung open. Kyle wolf whistled at me and arched his eyebrow. "Get out! Perv!" I yelled, doing my best to keep myself covered as Kyle, my dipshit foster brother stood in the doorway!

"Easy! I didn't know the show started this early." He sauntered into the bathroom. I grabbed my elbow crutch I'd dangled off the sink and picked it up and shoved it into his chest.

"Get out or I will impale this through your chest!" I glared at him, shoving him backwards.

"You know I love it when you get feisty, sis." Kyle smirked, running a hand through his greasy dark black hair. Hearing him call me his sister made my skin crawl. Any relationship to him would make me wanna kill myself.

"I am not your sister! Get out!" I'd managed to push him out of the bathroom enough to slam the door in his face, rattling the entire wall. If there would have been a lock on the door I would have locked it too.

Kyle's laugh echoed down the hallway. I stayed leaning against the door for a few minutes, making sure he wasn't going to barge back inside. Kyle showed up here out of the blue six months ago. Kid is just a more gangly version of Norman Bates if you ask me.

After a moment and making sure my towel was securely around me I headed for the mirror, swiping away the steam. My worn out expression filled the glass. My blonde hair was dripping wet and made me look like a drowned rat. The bags under my eyes from lack of sleep weren't doing me any favors either. I didn't get the luxury of worrying about putting on make up and looking cute for boys at school, not when I had to sleep with one eye open at night and put all the money I made working towards food. Tears burned the back of my eyes, but I forced them to stay at bay as I brushed my teeth. Crying wasn't going to change anything. I had to make things change. I had a plan to do just that, it was just going to take time, sadly.

I hated my living situation. I hated not feeling safe in what was supposed to be my home, my sanctuary. It was more like my own version of hell. I'm seventeen and have one more year before I age out of the foster system and I can't wait for that glorious day to come. I've been trying to emancipate myself for three years, but I've been denied each time due to my disability. Seven years in Chicago's Foster system and everyone still wanted the puppy over the old dog. It doesn't help I was born with a neurological disorder, hence the crutch. No one wants a fucked up kid, least my mom didn't.

Once my teeth were brushed I pulled on my clothes and slung my hair up in a messy wet bun. I made my way into my bedroom and slid all my text books into my bag and slung it over my shoulder, glancing at the clock. It was working on five thirty, which meant Andrew would be almost home. Shit. I pulled on a cardigan and a scarf since it was still snowing outside and slipped my coat on. I pulled my fingerless gloves on and then hobbled my way downstairs.

The smell of burnt food filled my nostrils as I made my way into the kitchen. Eggs and maybe toast? I pushed past Kyle, Jack, Caleb and West as they fought over the burnt eggs in the frying pan before tossing it and all their plates in the sink. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out you cook eggs on low heat." I let the words slip out of my mouth as I grabbed bread, peanut butter and what was left of the jelly out of the fridge. That was pretty much the entire contents of the fridge, safe for liquor and beer.

"Then why don't you fucking cook breakfast?" Jack snapped out, slamming a glass into the sink next to me at the counter making me flinch.

"No, princess doesn't have to do anything around here. She's special." Caleb chimed in. I rolled my eyes and ignored them and continued to make my PB&J sandwich. I didn't wanna go without food again today, all day.

I was out of cash until I got paid on Friday.

"Yeah, specially retarded, with her walking stick and all." Kyle laughed out, stealing the sandwich I'd just made. "Princess gets her own room per the states orders just for having a vagina."

"It's called an elbow crutch, moron. I'm not the one with an IQ of 50, that's you. By the way you already have a vagina, it's your face." I spat out over my shoulder, making another sandwich quickly.

"Looks like daddy's home." West said, laughing, as we all heard Andrew Foster stomping snow off his boots on the back porch. He worked the night shift at a company that made airplane parts. I swore I'd never fly on a plane after I learned that.

"We're out! Have fun, bitch!" Kyle mumbled out, with a mouthful of PB&J. Jack, West and Caleb all made a beeline for the front door laughing leaving me behind as Andrew came waltzing in the back door.

My stomach twisted in knots.

I slung my sandwich in a ziplock bag and shoved it in my coat pocket. "It's cold as balls out there." Andrew grumbled, walking past me to get a beer out of the fridge. I waited until he was finished grabbing a beer before putting away the ingredients for my sandwich. I'd learned you don't leave shit on the counter in this house.

I was almost home free. I'd made it to the hallway leading to the front door. "Who the fuck dirtied up all these dishes in the sink. Huh? Get your ass back in here and clean this shit up." Andrew bellowed, coming up behind me and grabbing my free arm, the other was secured in my elbow crutch. He'd dragged me back into the kitchen and pushed me in front of the sink.

I knew better than to protest or say it wasn't my mess. It wouldn't do me any good. I removed my gloves and started to clean the dishes in the sink the boys had so graciously left behind. Fucking assholes. I could feel Andrew's eyes boring into the back of me and felt my entire body tense. I felt the warmth of him against the back of me and his hand on my hip. This wasn't new to me unfortunately. Andrew's grabby roaming hands found their way to my ass within the first week I lived with him.

"Get off!" I snapped out, harshly.

"I worked all night just to provide for you little fucking shits and you can't even help an old dog get warm." Andrew gripped my hip tighter, grinding himself into my ass. I wanted to vomit. Panic always rose within me when I was alone with my foster father. He was anything but fatherly. "Keep washing those fucking dishes."

I felt his cold dry lips on the side of my neck and winced, wanting to get away from him. I've had many foster fathers treat me like this over the years. It never changed. The faces did, but the sickening behavior was always the same. His one hand slipped up under my coat and sweater and shirt and grasped my breast, while the other was planted on the counter as he ground himself into my back. Bile rose in my throat feeling his erection hitting me. I couldn't fight him off. That was my parents fucked up genes fault. Having Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 4 meant I could walk, barely, but my muscles were weak. Every task was a workout in and of itself.

I was lucky though. Funny, thinking of myself as lucky, especially right now in this moment. I could have ended up with a more severe version of the disease that made it impossible for me to walk at all.

"Please stop!" I begged, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Just stop!" I begged again, hands shaking in the water in the sink. I felt something sharp against my fingers at the bottom, a knife, maybe a fork?

Andrew groaned against my neck, sliding his hand that was on my breast down to the waistline of my jeans.

My eyes fluttered closed as my hands shook in the my sink. I had to fight back somehow. No one was gonna come and save me. No knight in shining armor was going to coming riding in on a white horse and whisk me away from all this shit.

My life was anything but a fairytale.

More like a Grimm Tale.

Something inside of me snapped as Andrew kept kissing and sucking on my neck. Every memory of being grabbed, touched, used and abused flooded my mind. In an instant without thinking I grabbed whatever sharp utensil was in the sink beneath the soapy water and plunged it into his hand on the counter. Andrew screamed letting go of me, giving me time to get away from him. "You fucking little bitch!"

I took my crutch and slammed the end of it into the side of his jaw while he was crying over the knife in his hand. Blood oozed out around the blade and spilled across the counter and into the sink, turning the water crimson. "You'd think with the last name of Foster you'd be able to be a decent one!" I yelled, before making a break for it out the back door.

My heart pounded in my ears as the cold Chicago air filled my lungs. I trudged through the snow as quickly as I possibly could and headed towards school. He was gonna kill me. No doubt about it. If I showed my face back at that house, I was as good as dead.

•••••

Large fluffy snow flakes still came down outside of the window. Chicago was having one of the coldest winters this year and I believed it. My fingers were froze by the time I'd made it to school. Mr. Peters was droning on about Newton's Laws of Physics, I'd tuned him out a long time ago. I normally didn't though. Normally I was alert and focused in classes. Getting good grades was one of the only things I was good at. But after stabbing my foster father in the hand this morning, I kind of had other things on my mind. Like avoiding the cops, finding somewhere warm to sleep tonight. Part of me wondered if Andrew would call the cops and another part of me knew he wouldn't.

"Miss. Taylor!" Mr. Peters called out, snapping my attention away from the window and to the front of the classroom. "Can you answer the question on the board please? Or is there something more fascinating outside capturing your attention."

Startled and embarrassed now that all eyes were on me, I felt my cheeks flush with heat. Everyone in the classroom was staring at me.

"I was actually fascinated by the two squirrels fucking in the tree myself." A guy sitting next to me called out. Everyone busted out laughing, well, everyone except Mr. Peters and myself. I glanced over slightly and saw Phillip Gallagher smirking, slumped down in his seat, chewing on the end of his pen.

He gave me a wink, causing me to roll my eyes and face forward. "I I don't know how to solve the problem." I mumbled, embarrassed and wanting the attention off of me. Science was my worst subject. It was the only class I was on the verge of failing.

"I expect more from you, Miss. Taylor." Mr. Peters shot out, glaring at me.

"Mr. Gallagher, would you care to answer the question since you are so eager to talk." Mr. Peters slowly walked down the row of students to reach Phillip's seat. Phillip showed no interest in answering the question. In fact he was leaning forward whispering something in Karen Jackson's ear, making her smirk mischievously.

Mr. Peters slapped Phillip's desk to get his attention just as the bell rang. Thank god. "Test on Friday! Chapters 30-36. Miss. Taylor. Mr. Gallagher, I want to speak to you both." Mr. Peters headed back to the front of the classroom towards his desk as students scattered liked bugs being sprayed with Raid.

I managed to gather my stuff and jam it all back into my bag. As I stood up I knocked my crutch off the back of my chair. Phillip caught it and handed it to me. "Here you go."

This was the most I'd spoken to Philip, well, ever. I knew he had a lot of siblings and a drunk father named Frank. Hell, the whole town new Frank Gallagher. Phillip's brother Ian was my midterm project partner last year. He was sweet, but I'd heard rumors about Phillip. He was a total player, but incredibly smart.

"Thanks." I mumbled slipping my arm back through it.

Phillip slung his bag over his shoulder and made his way towards Mr. Peters desk. I followed behind him, eventually standing next to him. We waited while Mr. Peters erased the board behind his desk. He turned around and sighed looking at us both.

"You failed your last test, Miss. Taylor. You've barely been getting by in my class since the beginning of the year. What's going on?" Mr. Peters questioned, looking at me expecting an answer. Philip was staring up at the ceiling, bored out of his mind, rocking back an forth on his heels. Why he had to be heat to hear this made no sense to me.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm trying really hard. I am. Honestly. I don't know what's going on. I'll get my grades back up though." I promised, and I meant it. If I wanted to get into AIC in a year, I had to have excellent grades. The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the best schools for art and design and my personal favorite, photography.

Photography was gonna be my ticket out of here. I was determined to become a professional photographer and start my own company one day. The sooner the better.

"Oh, I know you will, because Mr. Gallagher here is going to tutor you."

"Wait, what?" Phillip snapped to attention, suddenly interested in this conversation. "That's why you asked me to stay behind?" He glanced at me and then looked away.

"I know you've been tutoring Karen Jackson and her grades have improved drastically. I feel like you could really help Emma. So make a schedule and stick to it. I expect to see better results on the next test on Friday." Mr. Peters looked at me pointedly and then sat down behind his desk, gesturing for us to leave.

Great.

This was fucking perfect.

Phillip and I headed out out into the hallway together. I made my way to my locker and to my surprise Phillip had followed me. I glanced at him as I twisted the dial on the lock. "I don't need you to tutor me. I can bring my grade up on my own, Phillip."

"Really, cause that F on your last test is telling me a whole different story." He leaned against my locker. "Call me Lip, I hate Phillip."

"What kind of name is Lip." I half laughed out, finally opening my locker. Even though I kind of thought Lip was a cute nickname for him. I couldn't help but glance at his actual lips as he licked them. The were the definition of perfect. Oh god. I can't believe I just had that thought.

"Look, I can help you, but my time is precious and it's gonna cost you." Lip continued talking. He ran a hand through his shaggy almost curly dirty blonde hair and scratched his eyebrow with his thumb. "Hundred bucks a session is typically what I charge, but since your cute, I'll do it for seventy five."

Heat rose up my neck. I avoided making eye contact with him and pulled my Nikon D3400 out of my locker and secured it around my neck. I never brought it home. It cost close to seven hundred dollars and I was not giving Andrew or the boys the opportunity to pawn it.

I finally sighed, looking at Lip.

"I don't have any money. I can't pay you and besides I already said I can take care of this myself." I tried to explain to him. Someone walking past us punched the locker beside mine, making me flinch. "You fucking bitch!" Kyle spat, slamming my locker shut. "You actually stabbed him with a knife?"

Everyone passing in the halls slowed down and started to gawk at this sideshow of a conversation. Oh my god! Once a hood girl always a hood girl. Psycho. I heard kids whispering as they passed by and saw the look of confusion on Lips face.

"Yeah and I'd do it again." I snapped out, loud enough for everyone to hear, turning to face him, going toe to toe. Kyle towered over my five foot two body, so did Lip.

"He called me and made me take him to urgent care. He's on a witch hunt for your ass. You couldn't just put out, make all our lives easier, no, you had to go and stab the bastard." Kyle smirked, enjoying this in every possible way.

"Wait, who the fuck did you stab?" Lip butted into the conversation, surprised and intrigued. I'd forgot he was still standing there. For fuck sakes.

If I didn't know any better I'd say he looked a little impressed too.

"Can everyone stop saying the word stab? Please!" I hissed, wanting nothing more than to get away from Kyle. I headed down the hallway, thankfully alone.

"You better watch your back, bitch!" Kyle called out.

I flipped him the finger with my free hand as tears finally started to slide down my cheeks. I pushed my way into the stairwell that was now almost deserted and leaned against the wall, silently trying to calm myself down. There's no way Andrew would call the cops on me, because then he'd get in trouble for attempted rape. So naturally he would send Kyle after me.

As I tried to take deep breaths and ease the tightening pain in my chest I felt someone touch my elbow. I jumped, whipping around to see Lip, smirking at me. "Don't stab me!" He held his hands up in surrender.

"Don't give me a reason too."

"What exactly was that back there? Who the fuck are you, the Atomic blonde or some shit?" Lip questioned digging a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket getting ready to light up right here on the stairwell.

"Go away, Gallagher." I motioned for him to leave me alone.

"Come on, I'm intrigued now. I mean how could I not be. I honestly don't know whether to be afraid or impressed." Lip quirked an eyebrow at me.

I hated to admit it, but he was cute. He leaned his head forward, putting his unkept blonde hair on full display, and he lit his cigarette. He took a long drag, parting his lips slightly as the smoke released from his mouth.

"Both." I half smiled out.

Lip chuckled and nodded his head. "I know not to piss you off." He took a drag off his cigarette and glanced up and down the stairwell to make sure no teachers were coming. "Look, let me help you with class. We can work out a payment schedule or some shit." His eyes twinkled as he stared at me. He was insinuating something that would never happen in a million years.

"I'm not giving you a blow job, Gallagher." I laughed out.

"Who said anything about a blow job?" He laughed, stepping down onto the same step I was standing on now. "Your head always in the gutter? I meant an actual payment plan. As fun as a hummer would be, I need the cash."

My face felt like it was on fire. "I thought you were…I'm an idiot." I covered my face with my hands and shook my head. "Please walk away."

Lip peeled my hands off my face smirking. "Relax. I was insinuating something else."

For some reason I laughed and punched him in the arm. I really did need his help. I hated to admit defeat, but I was struggling, hardly keeping my head above water in Mr. Peters class and Lip was top of the class, surprisingly.

"We'll figure it out." Lip assured me.

"Why do keep pushing to help me? You don't even know me." I shot out without thinking.

"Well, I know that you stab people. But I also know that you're a loner, like me. You eat lunch sitting on the brick wall outside rain, sun or snow and by eat lunch I mean you read. You also sneak into the photo lab during free periods."

"I don't know if I should be impressed or completely creeped out." I slowly replied. How the hell did he know all that about me? Was he watching me?

Sensing the uneasiness on my face, Lip added. "I'm very observant. Been that way since birth."

I nodded my head, a small smile forming on my lips.

"Think about it and let me know." Lip said, stubbing out his cigarette on the bottom of his shoe. He turned and started to head up the stairs, but I found my own voice stopping him. "I can pay you in weed."

Lip turned around immediately. Clearly intrigued. He walked back down the steps as I dug a green prescription bottle out of my backpack. "It's medical grade. Good shit. I get it for migraines and hip pain. I can pay you with it. My prescription gets filled every two weeks."

I showed Lip the bottle and saw him practically foaming at the mouth. He gave me a sexy sideways smirk. "I'm gonna have to test it, first, but I think you've got yourself a deal."

"When can we start." I asked, eagerly, maybe too eagerly.

Lip unscrewed the cap to the bottle my weed was in and sniffed it. "Fuck that is some good shit. Follow me." Lip grabbed my hand and led me up the flight of stairs to the old girls bathroom no one ever used.


	2. Chapter 2: Fucking Gallagher's

**Chapter 2**

 **Lip's Point of View**

The abandoned bathroom was getting more run down with each passing day. Everyone came in here to get high or fuck because none of the teachers wanted to step foot in here unless they had too. The old brown and white tile was covered in a thick layer of dirt, and the mirrors above the sinks barely had a reflection from the years of neglect. Emma leaned against the counter that held the porcelain sinks as she watched me pull out a pack of papers from my pocket. Lifting an eyebrow, she watched carefully and he took one out and place it on the dark countertop.

"Always prepared?" Emma asked, watching Lip start to roll a joint. "Quite the Boy Scout."

Giving her a half smile, I never looked up from my work. "You never know when a cute girl will offer up some weed."

I glanced at Emma and noticed how she blushed at me calling her cute but didn't say anything as she watched me lick the paper to seal the weed inside. She was cute in that innocent sort of way, kinda like Karen. Although, Karen was anything but innocent. Emma had something different about her though, and I'm not just talking about the crutch either. Her hair was up in a messy bun, allowing me to get a good look at her face, but she was still a total fucking mystery to me. She looked tired and worried. That look reminded me of Fiona, my sister. That was her default setting.

I had a hard time believing Emma stabbed anyone. Chick is maybe five feet tall and looks like she weighs ninety pounds, if that. I could toss her across this bathroom with one arm. Doesn't seem like the crazy type. I've passed her in the halls on occasion, but never really looked at her looked at her, now that I have, something keeps making me wanna know more about her.

Carefully, I brought the joint up to my lips, digging around in my pockets for a light. Finding one quickly, I flicked the flame on, ignited the end of the paper, inhaling deeply. Emma waited patiently, knowing that her weed was going to be the good shit, it was medical grade for fuck's sake. I held the air in my lungs for a long while before exhaling, filling the small bathroom with smoke.

"Well, fuck me." I breathed out. "This is some good shit."

"I told you." Emma responded with a smug smirk. "So do we have a deal then? Weed for tutoring lessons?"

She stared at me with blue eyes expectantly. That's when I realized she's the first girl's eye color I've ever paid enough attention to notice. Fuck. This weed was hitting me hard. A cloudy buzz filled my head, a warmth spread behind my eyes, glazing them over. I needed this after the morning from fucking hell. Ian beating me to the fucking shower. Carl trying to put his goldfish in the microwave. Liam running around without a diaper pissing. Having to worry about getting the electric bill paid.

This was all shit parents should be dealing with, not kids. But Frank wasn't gonna fucking do a damn thing and Monica, who knows where the hell she is.

I offered Emma the joint and watched as she took it, taking a hit off it, like a pro, then handed it back to me. "We got a deal, but only on one condition." I said. Our fingers brushed against each other and she quickly recoiled her hand away from me.

I hopped up on the counter inhaling another hit off the joint and breathed it out.

"What's your condition?" Emma crossed her arms over her chest, pulling her mustard colored cardigan closed around her.

"I wanna know who you stabbed and why? I mean just so I don't make the same mistake and suffer the same fate." I smirked, trying to make her a little more at ease. She rolled her eyes and pulled herself up on the counter beside me and dig through her backpack, pulling out a pack of Sour Patch Kids.

She popped a few in her mouth as she stared at the floor a long while, then her eyes met mine, she was trying to read if she could trust me or not. "My foster dad was a little handsy this morning. It was self defense." She spoke, but it came out more like a whisper.

Foster care. That'll do it.

I nodded my head in understanding. "Shit. I'm sorry you had to go through that." I've been in foster homes before and group homes. They're all fucking shit shows and full of perverted whack jobs who like to drill peep holes into the bathroom and jerk off while kids shower. "I've been in foster homes a few times."

Emma looked at me surprised, arching an eyebrow at me. "Really?"

I nodded. "I wish you didn't have to go through what you went through this morning, but I'm glad you gave em hell."

Emma shrugged. "I'm used to it." She pushed herself off the counter, leaning on her crutch and turned around to face me, offering me a Sour Patch Kid. I took a handful and popped them in my mouth. "So tutoring? When can we start? As much as I would love to sit here and tell you my sob story, I've got to get to class, and so do you."

"I'm tutoring Karen Jackson after school at her house. You can come along. Just wait for me on the front steps after last bell." I told her. She nodded and gave me a weak smile before heading out of the bathroom.

•••••

I slammed my locker shut and headed down the hallway, tapping Ian on the shoulder as I went to let him know I was leaving with or without his ass. "I'm coming, man." Ian called out, running to catch up to me.

We fell in stride with each other as the sea of kids led themselves out of this shithole of a high school. "Got some premium shit we can smoke tonight." I discreetly showed my brother the green bottle Emma had given me earlier today.

"That's medical grade. Where the fuck did you get that? The Fredrick kid again?" Ian laughed, skeptical. "It's probably oregano."

"Nah, it's good. I made sure to test it. I got it off that chick Emma…what's her last name…oh yeah, Taylor. Emma Taylor. She's paying me in weed to tutor her." I smirked at Ian.

"Oh yeah, I know her. We did a midterm project together a while back." Ian informed me as we pushed past idiots lingering in the halls heading for the exit. I didn't wanna be in this place any longer than I had to be.

"What's she like? You tap that?" I asked, seeing the front doors to the school appearing ahead of us. They looked like a holy grail. I pulled my cigarettes out and lit up even though I was still inside the school. "You didn't see what was under all those layers of clothes?" There was something about winter and girls wearing layers of clothes that made me just wanna know what was underneath even more than usual.

Ian chuckled, ducking his head down, rubbing the back of his neck. "No. But she's pretty cool. Smart too." Typical of him to be all shy and shit.

"What's with the walking stick? What's wrong with her?" I asked, genuinely curious. I didn't wanna be the dick that asked her what was wrong, but I wanted to know. Not that there was anything wrong with her, but I wanted to know why she needed the crutch.

"I don't know, I never asked." Ian replied, being no help whatsoever. But that was like Ian to be polite and respectful like that. Do gooder little shit.

The cold air hit my lungs as soon as we stepped outside, making it a little hard to breath. It had finally stopped snowing, so that was a plus. Ian and I headed down the steps. I flicked my cigarette into the snow, spotting Emma waiting at the end of the steps off to the side, out of the way. She was blowing on her hands, trying to get them warm. Why the fuck she didn't have gloves on was beyond me. It was fucking zero below out, or it at least felt like it.

"You can take my bike. I got tutoring." I told Ian.

"Gee, thanks so the Stanton kid can beat my ass for you stealing it this morning." Ian snorted.

I chuckled. "You can take him. Mr. ROTC trainee. He's like, what, six?" I smacked Ian in the stomach and ran ahead to get to Emma.

"Fuck you!" Ian called out behind me. I flipped him the finger over my head as I walked up to Emma.

She had let her hair down since the last time I saw her, her blonde hair cascaded down around her face perfectly in waves. She tucked some hair behind her ears, making me notice how red her hands were from the cold. "Where the fuck are your gloves?" I said, approaching her.

"I left them at home this morning. Got a bit distracted."

"Right, right, with the whole stabbing thing. Understandable." I smirked, pulling my fingerless gloves off and handing them to her. She looked at me a bit confused and standoffish.

"You don't have to do that. I'm fine." She protested. "I couldn't get them on myself even if I wanted to anyway." She whispered more to herself than me. She must have noticed the confused look on my face this time. "When it's cold like this my hands cramp and it's hard for me to make them function."

"Oh." I nodded, understanding. "Do you want me to put them on?" I asked, and then without thinking I grabbed her free hand and slipped my glove on her hand gently. It was kind of just instinct since I helped Liam, my baby brother, with his all the time.

Emma sort of froze, but let me put my gloves on her hands. "Thanks." She mumbled.

"Karen's house isn't that far from here. We should get going." I said, leading the way.

We walked in silence for a while, cutting through shitty neighborhood after shitty neighborhood. Snow was piled waist high along the edges of the road where the plows had ran through. I kept watching Emma out of the corner of my eye as we walked. She could keep up with me even with her crutch. Her eyes flicked to mine and I looked forward quickly. Shit.

"You can ask." She finally broke the silence. "What's wrong with me. You can ask."

I tried to play it off nonchalantly and shrugged, lighting up another cigarette. "I figured if you wanted me to know you'd tell me."

"Is that why you keep staring at my crutch?" She smirked.

"I was thinking you could saw the end down and turn it into a shiv." I glanced at her and gave her a sideways smirk.

"Very funny." She shot back. "Actually, that's not a bad idea."

Our eyes met and we both laughed a little as we walked. "So, since you brought it up, why do you need that?" I finally broke down and asked, feeling like a dick. But she said I could so no harm no foul, right?

"I was born with a neurological disorder. Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Basically, it makes your muscles deteriorate. I'm weaker on my right side so I use the crutch to help me." She explained. "When I was younger I had scoliosis too. Had to have rods put in my spine."

"Jesus. There's nothing they can do for you though?" I asked, watching her.

"Unfortunately, there isn't a cure. So I just have to manage with what I got." She half laughed.

"Least you get good weed." I smirked at her, flicking my cigarette onto the road as we cut across to get to Karen's house.

I unlocked the white picket fence gate and let Emma walk through past me and then went up the stone steps to the door. Karen lived right next to where the L Train passed and it was currently going by, blaring loudly. I waited for the train to pass before knocking on the door, my knuckles were about to hit the wooden door when I paused and looked at Emma.

"I should warn you, Karen's mom is a bit…odd. So just go with it." I informed her.

"Okay." Emma arched her eyebrow at me, nodding slowly.

I knocked on the door and waited only a moment before Sheila cracked the door open, only the amount the chain lock would allow. Her wide eyes and bright grin shone through the open door. She looked at me a bit confused, like always.

I gave her a warm smile. "Hi, Mrs. Jackson. I'm here to tutor Karen."

"Oh, Lip!" She gushed, "Well, who's this with you?" Mrs. Jackson pointed to Emma.

"Emma Taylor. It's nice to meet you." Emma smiled brightly, giving her a small wave, not letting Sheila's weirdness bother her.

"Emma needed some help with tutoring and I thought we could do it as a group, if that's okay." I asked.

Sheila thought it over for a second, then nodded her head. "I'll need you to take your shoes off. I'll get you a bag." Sheila slammed the door shut.

"A bag?" Emma whispered.

"She's got a weird thing about bringing dirt in the house. Molysmophobia or some shit." I explained. Karen had told me before but I never really paid much attention to her talking about her mom.

Sheila opened the door and handed us bags to put our shoes in.

 **Emma's Point of View**

After slipping off my boots alongside Lip Mrs. Jackson let us into her home. Lip and I set up our books at the dining room table and waited for Karen to join us. Apparently she was upstairs doing something. I wasn't friends with Karen, but I'd heard she can be a total bitch, so I was wondering how she was going to feel about me being here.

"She'll be down in just a second." Mrs. Jackson said. "Can I get you two anything? Something to drink? A snack?"

Karen's mother was so nice. It wasn't something I was used to. "Mom! We agreed you'd stay in the kitchen." Karen barked out as she came down the stairs. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on me. She gave me a fake smile. The kind of smile that says what the fuck are you doing here. "I didn't know we were turning this into a three way." Karen placed her hand on Lip's shoulder as she sat down across the table from me.

"You both need help in science so I figured two birds one stone." Lip replied, flipping through his textbook.

Mrs. Jackson lingered near the table watching us. There was definitely something off about the woman. But she seemed nice. Her brown hair was cropped at her shoulders and she dressed nicer then any foster mother I've ever encountered. "Well, I'll just be in the kitchen making dinner if you all need anything."

"Mom! Go!" Karen hissed, glaring at her mother.

Karen gave me a wicked grin and placed her hand on Lip's forearm and leaned in close while he explained something to the both of us about Newton's Law of Motion. I was more concerned with listening to what Lip had to say, Karen on the other hand was shooting me daggers.

Lip moved his chair closer to me and pointed out something in my textbook. "Okay, so if you remember like this the formula is completely visible." He looked at me and smiled as I nodded, "Midget naked witch is bending over, and she's crying cause she lost one ear and can't find it."

I couldn't help but laugh at it his acronym. "Nice." I also couldn't help but notice how his eyes and face lit up talking about physics like this. "How do you know all this stuff?" I blurted out.

Lip shrugged. "Uh, it's just something I like to fool around with."

"Like a hobby?" Karen interjected, making Lip look at her once again.

"More like a plan, really?" He glanced at me when he replied and I think I understood what he meant. Physics was his way of possibly having a good life and getting the hell out of south side Chicago some day.

"You've got my respect. The only hobbies I have are reading and photography. Nothing close to this." I tapped my book with my pen.

"Well and eating Sour Patch Kids." Lip shout out with a sexy smirk. I hated that I thought he had a sexy grin. But he did. "That's like what your second bag today?" Lip flicked my pack of gummy candy.

I jokingly flipped him the finger.

"Have you done Newton's First yet? I've got a great one for that." Lip asked me, but I was a little distracted by Karen slipping out of her seat and onto the floor. Maybe she dropped her pen or something? "Everybody continues in a state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force."

Karen was still on the floor as Lip kept talking and then all of a sudden he gripped the table like something was wrong. I dropped my pen and studied his face. What the hell is she doing under the table?

"Are you okay?" I whispered. Karen's mother was in the kitchen behind us listening to a cooking show on her television on the counter.

Lip gripped the table again and covered his mouth with his hand. "Karen, what the fuck?"

That's when I realized something was off… was she giving him head under the table?

"I'm still gonna have to charge you for this?" Lip said, sparking Karen to pop her head out from under the table. She wiped the corners of her mouth and smirked at me and then looked at Lip. Was she really marking her territory on Lip by giving him a hummer right now? This was absurd. "Charge me?"

"I get paid for tutoring. This isn't charity." Lip breathes out.

"Then what is she doing here?" Karen spat out, her eyes blazing into my own. Fuck her. Fuck this tutoring session.

"Screw you, Jackson." I shot back at her.

Karen returned her gaze to Lip. "Science turns me on." And then she slipped back underneath the table. She was fucking bold to be giving some guy head with her mother feet away from her. The only thing hiding what she was doing was the linen table cloth.

"Oh fuck." Lip gripped the table again. "Karen."

"Oh my god!" I got up and gathered my notebooks and textbooks together and slammed them in my bag. "Are you fucking kidding me with this shit? I'm not sitting here while you get a fucking blow job." I whispered, slinging my bag over my shoulder, grabbing my crutch and my coat.

"Emma. Wait. Shit." Lip groaned out as I grabbed my shoes by the door in a bag and walked outside.

•••••

I'd made my way to Stella's Diner on North Broadway and found my usual booth. I came here when I had to do homework so I didn't have to be at home. The owner Stella was a sweet woman who let me sit in a back booth for as long as I wanted as long as it wasn't busy. Today the place was pretty vacant. My brain went into overdrive trying to figure out what the actual fuck just happened back at Karen's house.

Karen just randomly decided to give Lip a blow job? I definitely got the vibe she was threatened by me being there. She didn't have to worry because I did not see Lip like that at all. I never would. Her mother was right there. I was embarrassed for her. Why did this all bug me so much? I had a test in three days and if I didn't get my grade up I was screwed that's why.

I glanced at my bag, getting ready to pull my books out, when I realized I'd packed my bag but grabbed Lip's instead. You've got to be kidding me. The bag was empty because all his books were on Karen's table and mine were in my bag I'd left on the chair.

"Fucking Gallagher." I mumbled, getting up and heading back out into the cold.

I knew about where the Gallagher's lived from when I work with Ian on a project. We actually only lived a few streets apart. I approached Lip's front door determined to get my bag back and my weed and call off this whole tutoring thing altogether. It was a mistake to think he would take anything seriously.

I banged my hand against the door and realized I had his gloves on and that infuriated me for reasons I couldn't even explain. I banged on the door again when no one answered.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" A girl yelled from inside but it sounded mumbled.

The red front door swung open and a girl a few years older than me stood before me. She had her hair wrapped in a towel and a tooth brush dangling out of her mouth. "Can I help you?" She asked, after removing the tooth brush.

"Is Lip here? I'm a friend from school. Sorta. Not really. He has something of mine that I really need back." I blurted out quickly.

"Lip! Door!" She yelled up the stairs. "Come on in. It's freezing out there." She ushered me into the tiny foyer and then around the corner into the living room.

"I'm Fiona. Lip's older sister. Excuse the mess." She half laughed, gesturing towards the destroyed living room.

"Emma." I held my hand out for her to shake.

"You're polite. How could you possibly be friends with my brother." She smiled, then stuck her tooth brush back in her mouth.

"We gotta go Fiona!" Another woman said, walking into the living room from what appeared to be the kitchen. "Who's this?" She placed her hand on her hip and eyed me up and down with a smile.

"Lip's friend Emma. This is Veronica." Fiona introduced us.

"Hey!" I smiled, shaking her hand as well.

Veronica and Fiona were both freaking beautiful and looked like they were dressed for a night out on the town in their tight party dresses.

I heard squealing and turned around to see a black baby in a pack n play. He was playing with a set of blocks. "Is he yours? He's beautiful." I smiled at Veronica, assuming.

Veronica laughed, like through her head back and laughed. "Hell no, that ain't my baby. But he is cute though."

"That's Liam. Little brother." Fiona smiled, looking down at her baby brother. I didn't realize how many siblings Lip and Ian had.

"Lip!" Fiona yelled again up the white staircase, but got no response. "Ugh. I swear sometimes he's deaf. Follow me. I need his deodorant anyway."

I followed Fiona upstairs taking in Lip's house. It was well lived in. Clothes lined the hall floor, that Fiona picked up as we walked past. "Lip you in here!" She banged on the last door at the end of the hall before barging inside.

"There's someone here for you. I need your deodorant." Fiona said, as I hesitated at the doorway.

"I'm using Ian's." Lip said. "Who's here?"

"That'd be me!" I butted in, walking into the room looking for my bag on the floor. I didn't see it anywhere in Lip's pigsty of a bedroom.

Fiona grabbed deodorant off a nightstand by a bed that I assumed was Ian's or Lip's. There was another bed that was like a bunk bed with a desk space underneath of it and then another bed shoved in another corner. They were really stacked in here.

"W-what are you doing here?" Lip questioned, looking at me. That's when I notice he was in his boxers.

"Oh god." I turned around shielding my eyes for whatever reason.

"Lip if I put a load of laundry in before I leave will you keep an eye on it?" Fiona asked, grabbing up dirty clothes off the floor. She reached for a laundry bag to put the clothes in but Lip grabbed it before she could.

"Do it tomorrow I need a shirt out of there." He dug through the bag and yanked something out of it.

"My bag. We switched bags at Karen's. I need my stuff." I said, wanting to get out of here, letting his green bag slide off my shoulder onto the floor.

"Fiona! We gotta go if we're gonna get ride to the club!" Veronica yelled coming down the hallway and into Lip's bedroom, which was now pretty crowded with all four of us in here.

Fiona whipped around to face her friend, pulling the towel out of her hair. "Five minutes. Look at me." She mumbled with her tooth brush in her mouth. Veronica grabbed the back of Fiona's dressing going for a tag, but Fiona squealed. "No! Tag stays on. This has to go back tomorrow."

"I have a tag gun at home from when I worked at TJ Maxx. I'll put it back on later." Veronica insisted and yanked the tag off.

"Oh my god. Usually I'd be all for my room full of chicks but can you get the fuck out." Lip groaned, trying to push us all out of the room.

"You and Ian are watching Debbie, Carl and Liam. Don't let Carl play with the stove again. He almost burnt his eyebrows off this morning." Fiona instructed as she was heading out of Lip's room. "There's hot dogs downstairs, nachos too." Just when I thought Fiona was done whipped around and looked at Lip and I.

"If she's here door stays open or you're downstairs. Got it?" She gave Lip a hardened glare.

"God go. It's not even like that." Lip insisted, shaking his head. "Have fun. Get laid." Lip shoved Fiona out the door and then grabbed my arm and gently led me out of his room.

"Two seconds and we'll talk." Lip assured me before slamming his door shut in my face.

"Just give me my bag and I'll be on my way!" I yelled through the door, sighing, waiting for him to open it again. "Matter of fact I want my weed back too!"

"What? Why?" Lip yelled back, finally giving me a response.

"Our tutoring deal is off!" I yelled through the door. Why the fuck am I talking through a door. Without thinking much about it I swung the door open and marched back inside.

Lip was sitting on the bed holding a folder. As I got closer I noticed it had porn on the front of it. "Seriously, you totally screw over our study session and now you leave me in the hallway so you can jerk off to porn?"

Lip had flipped the folder open and we both saw it contained images of guys doing each other. In the ass. Among other things. The room quieted. Lip went completely pale and quickly closed the folder and stood up. Least he had jeans on again.

He glared at me. Was he gay? I mean why else would there be gay porn in his room. That would be a shocker. Unless it's not his… "Look if you're… it's cool." I started to say.

"It's not mine!" He snapped back. "It has to be Ian's."

In that moment we heard Ian's voice echoing down the hallway. "Hey, Veronica."

"Keep your mouth shut." Lip ordered me.

Lip hurried up and shoved the folder under his bunk bed mattress and grabbed my hand, plopping me in a chair by a desk just as the door swung open.

 **A/N: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PREVIOUS REVIEWS! Maybe leave some more, eh? ;)**


	3. Chapter 3: A Fall Wedding

**Chapter 3**

 **Lip's Point of View**

Ian barged into the bedroom, completely oblivious to what I'd just stumbled upon moments ago with Emma. The possibility of my brother being gay never crossed my mind, until now. I didn't know how to feel about any of it. I also didn't know how I felt about Emma knowing about it either. Ian was dressed in his ROTC uniform, making him looking like a fucking G.I. Joe. He lived for that army bullshit, thrived in it in fact. He was the best in his ROTC class. He removed his jacket and tossed it on his bed not noticing us until he turned around.

"Hey, man. Hey, Emma." Ian smiled, pausing in his tracks. He eyed us a bit suspiciously, but it seemed to pass after a moment.

"Hey." I replied, curtly. No other words seemed to be able to leave my mouth.

Emma waved and smiled at Ian. "I hear you really kick ass at that whole ROTC thing." Emma complimented my little brother. I say little, but he's not much younger than I am. Two years apart.

"I'm alright at it, I guess." Ian shrugged it off, running a hand over his red chair. "You should stay for dinner. Hang out for a bit. I'm starving. I was eyeing up one of those hot dogs Fiona brought home from work. Ian said as he headed out of the room, presumably to the kitchen.

"I bet." I mumbled.

Ian stuck his head back in the doorway. "Huh?"

"We'll be down in a second." I covered my ass. I walked over to the door and shut it and then stared at Emma trying to sort this shit out in my head. She got up, wobbling a bit on her crutch. I felt like I'd just been punched in the gut.

"You didn't know he was…" Emma started to say but stopped herself when I cut her with a glare.

I was in shock, I think? If shock is feeling like I wanna vomit and punch something at the same time. My entire image of my younger brother was just broken. I'd stumbled across Ian's dirty little secret. We told each other everything, I mean, everything. When I banged Santana Suarez when I was fourteen I told Ian first. Why the fuck wouldn't he tell me something this important about himself?

"He's not." I denied what was right in front of me. "If anyone hears about this I'll know it was from you." I pointed at Emma and stepped closer to her.

"I'm not gonna say anything. Foster kid, remember. I'm good at keeping secrets. Just give me my bag and my weed and I'm gone." She replied, not wanting to get mixed into the drama she was already finding herself mixed into.

I ran a hand down the side of my face and sighed. I walked over to the bunk bed and pulled Emma's floral back pack off the mattress and switched out our stuff. I was knelt down by our bag's on the floor when I glanced up at Emma looking around the room. She was taking in all the posters that Ian and I had hanging, littering the walls. Some were of bands, some were of girls. Huh. I'd hung those.

I felt like a dick for what happened at Karen's. "Look about earlier at Karen's…" I started to talk, but Emma cut me off with a girlish laugh that made something in my stomach untwist.

"I'm pretending that didn't happen." She told me, shaking her head with her eyes closed tightly, like she was trying to erase the memory but squeezing her eyes shut.

"I'll tutor you. Let me tutor you. Just us. We'll start right now." I offered, trying to make up blowing her off for a blow job. It was a really good blow job though.

"Yeah, right, like I'm gonna believe you're gonna take this seriously. I need to get my grade up. It matters to me. I have plans for a future and I'm not gonna let your sex life derail those plans. You can't be the only person at school who is good in science." Emma went on her own little rant. I wondered when she was gonna take a breath.

"It matters to me too. I swear it'll all be professional from here on out." I said, standing up, meeting my Emma's piercing gaze.

To my surprise Emma laughed, again. The sound was so sweet it made me smirk slightly, like it was contagious. "Do you know how to be professional?" She was giving me a very sarcastic look with her eyebrow quirked up.

"Can you?" I challenged back.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She half laughed again. I was starting to really like that sound.

"I mean you and I in close quarters studying, can you control yourself?" I gave her a once over, letting my eyes linger on her tiny little frame just to fuck with her since she liked to fuck with me.

Emma walked closer to me until she was standing in front of me, almost touching me. She leveled me with a confident stare. "That won't be a problem." She patted me on the shoulder.

She reached down and grabbed her Physics textbook out of her bag and shoved it into my chest. "Teach me."

There were so many ways I could reply to that, but all of them would probably land me a slap to the face or in Emma's case a punch. She didn't seem like the type to play around. So I ducked my head down, pursing my lips. "Alright, let's get started."

•••••

Emma and I set up our books and notebooks on the floor. We were sitting side by side leaning against Ian's bed. I could hear him downstairs trying to reign in Debby and Carl. Liam was scream crying at the moment. I just kept gazing at where I'd stashed Ian's porn under my mattress. I had to confront him about it. I mean I needed to know what the fuck was going on. Did it really matter though? No. I mean if he's gay, I don't give a shit, he's still my brother. Right?

Emma was snapping her fingers in front of my face trying to get my attention. This was probably the third time I'd zoned out while she was working on a problem set. Our arms were brushing against each other, her warmth being the only thing keeping my head still in the room and not spinning out in another dimension.

Emma sighed, closing her book. "Do you want to talk about it?" She gave me a genuine look of concern.

"About what?" I ignored the obvious, pretending to be reading my physics book.

"I don't know, maybe about your brother. Just a shot in the dark."

"There's nothing to talk about." I grumbled out, annoyed and taking it out on her. She handed me her notebook so I could go over the problems she had just worked on. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "I just can't believe it, okay? I mean, why keep it a secret. We tell each other all kinds of shit and he just never mentions this? No."

Emma didn't answer right away, choosing her words carefully. "Maybe he's still trying to figure it out, Lip. Regardless of who he likes, girls or boys, he's still the same person you grew up with. He's still your brother. Does it bother you that he might be gay?"

"No. I don't know…maybe. I think it bothers me more he didn't trust me enough to tell me." I replied, opening up to Emma for whatever reason. I don't know why I'm even saying any of this shit to her. I don't talk about my feelings. I bottle them up and explode and punch something like every other guy and then the balance is restored.

"Talk to him. Don't come at him defensively either. Just be open and try and hear him out." Emma offered, giving me a small smile. "Take what you're feeling right now and magnify that by like a thousand and that might touch how Ian's been feeling about all of this."

The bedroom door swung open and Carl walked in. "Check it out! I found it on the porch!" He was holding a black garden snake.

"Fuck that, Carl! Put it back outside." I yelled getting to my feet.

"Who's this?" Carl stared at Emma curiously.

"Someone who stabbed someone this morning. Get rid of the damn snake." I ordered again. Why my little nine year old brother had to have infatuation with creepy ass animals was beyond me.

"Respect." Carl nodded, holding his fist out for Emma to bump it. She did glaring at me.

"Why don't we get this little guy back outside." She offered, getting to her feet, slowly. Carl held the black snake as it stuck out it's tongue. Emma and I marched Carl downstairs. Only he made a beeline for the kitchen with the snake.

Liam was wailing in his pack n play so I swiped him up in my arms as we headed into the kitchen. Ian was eating and working on homework at the table while Debby was destroying the kitchen trying to bake something. At least I think she was baking. Flour covered the counter and floor.

"Dude. Snake. Outside. Now." I ordered Carl.

He was standing in front of the microwave with the door open holding the snake in front of it. "I wanna make my own snake dog."

"You're so gross!" Debby shouted.

"Do you not see any of this shit going on, man?" I asked Ian who seemed oblivious to the chaos.

"I tuned it out after a while." He replied, flipping the page in his textbook.

"Debs. What are you doing?" I questioned, putting Liam in his high chair. I grabbed some crackers for him to munch on so he'd quiet down and poured them on his little plastic tray.

"Bake sale at school. Everyone has to bring something! Fiona was supposed to help me." Debby cracked two eggs into a large bowl on the counter.

Emma was standing in the doorway watching everyone with a tiny smile on her face. She looked a little sad though. Like she longed for this kind of chaos. Debby zeroed in on Emma and waved. "We're you in Lip's room? Lip and Ian aren't allowed to have girls in their room. I'm telling Fiona!"

"What did I tell you about people who tattle? They get their tongues cut out!" I grabbed Debby and picked her up off the footstool she was standing on to reach the counter and tickled her, making her squeal.

"Lip! Carl!" Emma yelled, making me turn around just in time to shove Carl away from the microwave before he fried a god damn garden snake.

"Oh come on!" Carl yelled. "It probably tastes like chicken."

Ian got up and got the snake and took it outside.

"I think we'll have to pick up studying tomorrow. Library during lunch?" I offered Emma.

"Sounds like a plan." Emma nodded. She was about to walk away when Debby grabbed her hand stopping her.

She looked up at Emma with flour in her red hair. "Do you know how to bake?"

"I do. I can help you if it's cool with your brother." Emma looked at me for permission, not wanting to wear out her welcome I guessed. I nodded because I sure as fuck didn't feel like baking cookies. I mean I'd do it, because she's my sister, but I'd hate every single second of it.

Debby jumped up and down and dragged Emma over to the counter. I grabbed some food and sat down at the breakfast bar and watched them bake cookies together. Carl joined me after arguing with Ian over the snake. Pretty soon the kitchen smelled like fresh chocolate chip cookies.

"So are you Lip's girlfriend?" Debby asked Emma nonchalantly. Jesus. I swore Debby was gonna grow up to be a detective with the way she drilled everyone with questions and then she'd be the one to arrest us all for the illegal shit we do to get by.

Emma blushed immediately. Oh so the idea of us being together made her nervous. I liked knowing that. "No! We are not together. We will never ever be together."

"Ever." I reiterated. I mean Emma was cute but I didn't wanna go there.

"I predict you'll have a fall wedding!" Debby announced.

"Oh yeah?" Ian laughed behind me. "Only way Lip is getting married is if he's loaded like Frank."

"Who's Frank again, your dad, right?" Emma asked, smirking wanting to know more.

"I like to think of him as just the sperm donor our mom used." I shot out.

"He's our dad." Debby added in, shooting daggers at me. She was still so young and naïve. I wished she could stay that way and never have to truly learn what a piece of shit Frank really was.

"Ive seen him around town before. He panhandles in front of Stella's Diner sometimes. I actually saw him with Liam one day." Emma said, making me shake my head. He uses Liam as a way to get people to feel sorry for him and give him cash so he can go get wasted.

"Yeah, that sounds like Frank." Ian said, starting to round Debby and Carl up to get them ready for bed. "Asshole cares more about alcohol then his own kids. Come on guys. It's late. Time for bed. If Fiona catches you guys up it'll be my balls in a vice."

I looked at the clock and couldn't believe it was already almost ten o'clock at night.

"But we aren't done baking!" Debby protested.

"Don't worry! I can finish these up for you and they'll be ready for tomorrow. Promise." Emma assured Debby saving me from having to deal with a full blown temper tantrum.

Debby nodded. "I like her. Don't fuck it up!" She glared at me, pointing her fingers at me and then her eyes and then me.

I tossed a cookie at her head and then another making her and Carl run upstairs, Ian trailing behind them. Liam started fussing in his high chair so I picked him, holding him on my hip. "It's alright little man. I know it's hard eating and sleeping and pooping all day."

Emma giggled a little placing cookies that had been baked into a plastic container.

"Thanks. For helping Debs." I rubbed Liam's back and stole a cookie for myself. It was like biting into heaven.

She didn't have to help my little sister but she did and that meant something in my book.

"It's cool. I don't mind. We're family after all. I mean if we're having a fall wedding according to Debby. That makes you my fiancé." Emma pointed out with a sly grin on her face. "A fiancé who was with Karen Jackson… I think I'm gonna have to call this wedding off."

"I'm so heartbroken." I said dryly, laughing.

Most girls I hang out with I just fuck. We don't really hang out. This was a little weird to have Emma here in my kitchen making cookies, but it was a good weird. I guess after what we found out about Ian we kinda had a weird bond too.

"I'm gonna put him to bed." I told Emma.

"Okay. I'll just clean up and then get out of your hair." She said, starting to pile stuff in the sink.

For some reason I didn't want her to leave just yet so I found myself saying this. "Wanna hang out, watch a movie? It's still early for us. Smoke a little Mary J…" I mimicked smoking a joint.

"Sure." Emma grinned. "I mean if you want to."

"Yeah, just give me twenty minutes to get Liam down and help Ian with Carl and Debby." I told her before heading out of the kitchen.

 **A/N: Your reviews are the sweetest thing ever! Thank you! I've got a lot of great stuff planned for his story and Lip and Emma and I'm so excited to share it all with you guys! Xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4: Gallagher For The Night

**Chapter 4**

 **Emma's Point of View**

Lip had disappeared upstairs with little Liam on his hip leaving me alone in the kitchen. I finished baking Debby's cookies and placed them in an air tight container that I'd found by searching in the cabinets. I could hear footsteps upstairs, making the old house creak above me as I washed the dishes. Once I was finished I thought seriously about just leaving, not wanting to be annoying by hanging around, but Lip had asked me to stay… so I found myself sitting on the couch in the living room.

Watching _Texas Chainsaw Massacre_ with Ian and Lip on their living room couch was not how I imagined my day would end, especially with how it started. I figured I'd be in a jail cell by now for assaulting Andrew. But then again, if he told, then I'd get to tell too. I was sitting in between Lip and Ian on the couch with my feet tucked up under my chin.

Ian was slouched down on the couch, comfortable as can be. Lip on the other hand would not sit still. One minute his arms were crossed behind his head, the next his hand was dangerously close to mine on the couch. Not that I noticed or anything. I was hyper aware of every move he made and I found it really weird.

The movie credits began to roll and we all sat quietly for a minute. I was half asleep.

"So, I got a hummer from Karen Jackson today." Lip bragged, unexpectedly, looking past me at Ian. What the hell was he doing? I shot him a look and he completely ignored me.

"You're disgusting." I mumbled, half scoffing, closing my eyes as my head rested against the back of the couch. I opened my eyes when I felt the warmth of Lip disappear.

He was sitting on the coffee table facing us now.

"What's the law on sex with pets again?" Ian shot out, making me bust out laughing. I couldn't help it. It was such an out of the blue thing for him to say that it made me laugh. I laughed so hard I had to clap my hands in front of me. I was really giggly when I was tired too, so that could have been a factor as well.

"No way, man." Ian continued not to believe Lip.

"Fuck you, both." Lip smirked, offering Ian the joint he'd just rolled and lit. "I'm serious, ask Emma." Lip pointed to me to verify that he indeed did have his dick sucked by Karen. I shivered at the thought. That was just wrong on so many levels. I mean her mother was less than ten feet away!

"Yes, it happened. It was horrifying. I was there and now I'm going to need therapy for the rest of my life." I said.

Ian handed me the joint and I took it, inhaling a long pull off of it before handing it to Lip, our fingers brushed against each other lightly.

"I told you. She got a 'C' in Physics, needed a 'B." Lip elaborated. He took a hit off the joint, blowing smoke out of his nostrils. I didn't think smoking could ever look sexy, but it did when he did it. I was going to blame the weed for that unwanted thought in my head.

"Yeah, you wouldn't have waited this long to tell me." Ian shook his head in disbelief still. Lip was studying Ian's face like his life depended on it, like he was trying to see how he reacted to talking about a blow job.

"Oh, five hours! Fuck you. I have a witness." Lip pointed at me again, talking with the joint between his lips. I tried not to stare at him too much, but with the low buzz building in my head and the warmth in my chest it was hard not too.

"You're full of shit. Both of you. You probably had to pay Em's to back that bogus claim." Ian laughed, grabbing a handful of popcorn out of the bowl on the table. Ian's nickname for me made me smile a little on the inside. I've never had a nickname before or really friends to give me one.

I mean I was friendly with people at school, but I mostly stuck to myself. Guys didn't exactly approach me because of my crutch and let's face it Girls can be bitches. Plus, being in the system means you can be moved or transferred out of your school district at the drop of a hat. So why bother?

But I liked Em's.

"Fuck you." Lip laughed again, the sound surprisingly making me smile a little again, the weed was making me a little giddy feeling.

"You ever have a knob job?" He blatantly asked Ian. Ian gave me a sideways glance, embarrassed a little bit.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm one of the guys. Please continue this conversation." I said, dryly, glaring at Lip. He squinted his eyes at me telling me to play along.

"So? Have you?" I asked, now forcefully curious. I could have kicked Lip right now for making me a part of this. If Ian was gay, which there's a good chance it's possible, then so what? I mean understand him wanting to know why Ian didn't trust him enough to tell him, but pushing him wasn't good.

"Lady wants to know, bro?" Lip smirked, holding back a laugh as he inhaled more smoke from the joint in his hand before passing it around again.

Ian ducked his head down and rubbed the back of his neck a little and smirked. "Once or twice."

"Oh, yeah, really? I didn't hear you rushing to tell me then." Lip said. He got up and walked around behind the couch and disappeared up the steps for a minute, leaving Ian and I alone together awkwardly.

"He's an acquired taste." Ian said, dragging his brother.

"So I'm learning." I laughed, as Lip came trudging down the steps.

Lip sat back down on the coffee table, holding something behind his back. "I mean unless you got sucked off by a guy…for instance. Lip finally spoke, tossing the folder we'd found earlier in their shared room on his lap.

My heart rate accelerated from the weed in my system but also for Ian. Lip was totally putting him on the spot and in the hot seat right now. This was so not the way for him to broach this subject with Ian. I wanted to punch him, but couldn't. Even if I did punch him it wouldn't hurt, low muscle mass.

"What's this?" Ian asked, nervously. He opened the folder and saw the gay porn inside and closed it immediately. I watched his face go white.

"I thought we tell each other everything?" Lip asked, his eyebrow arching as he stared down his little brother. His tone was a little accusatory, but I also could hear the hurt there too.

There was a sudden stomping on the back porch, followed by yelling outside and before Ian could say anything the back door in the kitchen flung open. I jumped a little at the noise, but relaxed when I realized it was Lip's sister Fiona and Veronica, but they weren't alone. There was a guy with them. He stumbled into the kitchen, clutching the back of his head.

"Come on, let's get you to the couch, Steve." Veronica laughed, holding on to the guy so he didn't fall. He looked young. Maybe mid-late twenties, early thirties at best.

"Move, this man is injured and needs medical attention stat." Veronica ushered us all off the couch, sitting the red medical bag she had slung over her shoulder on the couch.

Ian moved over to the steps and sat down, not saying a word. He avoided making eye contact with me or Lip. Lip picked his beer up off the coffee table and sat down on the futon in front of the windows behind me. I felt him tug on my hand and found myself sitting beside him. Our knees were touching lightly. If Lip knew he didn't care or let it show that he cared.

Veronica sat down on the couch and ushered for Steve to sit in front of her on the floor so she could get a better look at his head. Maybe he was drunk and fell or something? Steve removed his leather jacket and shirt, letting Veronica place a plastic wrap around his neck in case their was any blood. She began picking pieces of something out of the back of his head.

Stones? Glass? I wasn't sure.

Fiona strolled into the living room with a wet rag in her hand. "I'm not kidding, Steve. You are dead if he ever lays eyes on you. And I mean dead." She laughed and glanced at me, Lip and Ian.

So this Steve guy got into a fight. He didn't look like the get into a fight type of guy. He was a little on the short side and reeked of money with his expensive watch and leather jacket and loafers.

He was cute though, in that boyish way.

"You're still here!" Fiona looked at me a little surprised, smiling. She had a contagious smile. One of those smiles that took up her entire face. I could tell she was buzzed quite a bit by the look in her eyes.

The alcohol was evident on all three of them though.

"I hope that's okay." I answered, nervously. I should have left earlier. I just didn't want to go. I wasn't too excited about sleeping on a bench or on the L train tonight. Neither were safe or comfortable. But I always did what I had to do. I was kinda like Katniss Everdeen in that sense. The odds were never in my favor either.

"Do your parents know where you are?" Fiona asked, concern creasing her forehead. "It is pretty late. I don't need another dad busting the door down looking for his daughter." She looked at Lip pointedly. There was definitely a story behind that I so wanted to know.

"Fiona, shut up." Lip interjected. I felt his hand touch the small of my back gently and tensed, but relaxed slightly after a moment. I guessed it was supposed to be a comforting gesture, but it just made me even more nervous.

I started picking the sides of my fingernails. "I should go." I said, nodding, knowing I should have left after I cleaned up the kitchen after making cookies with Debby. I had to admit spending time with Lip and Ian's little sister was the most fun I'd had in a long time.

Debby was hilarious, especially going toe to toe with Lip.

"She doesn't have parents. Foster care." Lip explained for me. "Her foster dad is a total dick."

Everyone looked at me for a moment and I felt heat creep up my neck. I didn't like being the center of attention. Some girls loved it. I hated it.

"You got somewhere to stay tonight?" Veronica asked, looking at me. She paused what she was doing to Steve's head, holding tweezers in the air.

"No." I answered, honestly. "I can't go home. But I'll ride the L till morning. I've done it before." I shrugged my shoulders. No big deal.

Fiona and Veronica shared a look.

"Fuck that. You'll stay here tonight. You can crash with Lip." Fiona suggested, happily. She took a drink of the beer in her hand.

"Are you sure?" I asked, hesitantly. I looked at Fiona and then at Lip.

"It's cool with me." Lip replied beside me, shrugging.

"Well that's settled!" Fiona clapped her hands together, laughing a bit. "I still can't believe you hit that guy." She looked at Steve as he winced when Veronica pulled a stone or something out of the back of his head.

"I nearly peed myself when you hit him." Veronica laughed loudly. "Well, I did a little."

We all cracked up at that. Footfalls were heard coming down the stairs now. Carl and Debby joined in on all the commotion now. I felt a bit bad we'd woken them up, but they didn't seem to mind.

Debby sat down on Lip's Lap, while Carl knelt down in front of the coffee table.

"Wait, how many of you guys live here?" Steve asked, wide eyed at the brood in front of him now.

"Not me, I'm one down." Veronica replied. "But the old guy next door died in March, which I guess technically makes us next-door neighbors."

"So you're a nurse, Veronica?" I asked, wondering aloud. Normally I didn't feel comfortable enough to ask questions or I wasn't supposed to ask them, but here I didn't feel that way. I felt comfortable for once. Which was odd since this was the first time I've ever been in this house before.

"Used to be." She answered.

"Lying bitch." Fiona gave her a wide grin.

"She worked housekeeping at Cook County, bedpans and shit-sheets." Lip explained with a smirk. He finally removed his hand from my back and I felt like I could breath again.

Veronica shot daggers at Lip. "Fine. But I was offered a place in the nursing school."

"Fine. But it never happened." Fiona smirked, her eyes situated on a very shirtless Steve. "They fired her for selling medical supplies on eBay."

"Will you shut up? We don't even know him." Veronica hissed, like Steve somehow couldn't hear her talking right behind his head.

"So what are all your names? There's so many of you?" Steve looked around the room at everyone. The living room had gotten quite packed with bodies in the last fifteen minutes.

"We Carl, the pyro." Fiona kissed the top of Carl's head. "Little Debby and Lip." She pointed to her siblings with the tip of her beer bottle.

"How you doing, Debbie?" Steve offered her a smile. The guy seemed nice. He didn't seem like a freak. When you're around weirdos long enough you tend to pick up on their kind.

Debby looked at Steve curiously, standing up. "Nice watch."

"Oh, thanks. Panerai." Steve told her.

"What'd that set you back, about six bills?" Debby examined the watch, carefully.

"Plus, Ian." Fiona pointed her beer bottle at a very quite Ian residing on the staircase. He waved when Steve looked at him, but said nothing.

"And you are?" Steve looked up at me.

"Emma Taylor." I nodded at him.

"Worlds most annoying study buddy." Lip sighed out, shaking his head.

"Oh, how am I annoying?" I half laughed. "You really wanna go there Gallagher?" I gave him a pointed look.

Lip grinned at me shaking his head. "You're so easy to get going." He laughed.

I attempted to elbow him in the ribs, but he instead tossed his arm around my shoulder. I froze, unsure of what to say or do. It was all in good fun. We were friends. I guessed. I mean I assumed.

"Hey, Debbie, why do they call him "Lip"?" Steve asked Debby as she continued to mess with his watch and all its settings. I don't know if he really wanted to know or if he just didn't want her to fuck up his expensive piece of jewelry.

"His real name's Philip." Fiona explained when Debby completely ignored him.

There was a loud knock at the front door, followed by the booming sound of a man's voice. For a moment I held my breath. A part of me thought maybe Andrew figured out where I was and was coming after me. I didn't think this morning through at all. I'd acted on rage and impulse when I stabbed him in the hand. It's not like he died or anything. "Yo, Veronica!" The man yelled, coming through the door. "You got my keys?"

A tall guy in a puffy black coat appeared around the corner and came into the living room. He had long brown hair and a scruffy beard with a gold chain around his neck. He looked around the room, taking in the situation. "What's going on here?"

"Sup, Kevin." Lip fist bumped him.

"This is Steve." Veronica smiled up at Kevin. "Decked the bouncer at Purgatory to defend my honor."

Kevin looked at Veronica and Fiona skeptically.

"My honor, actually." Fiona corrected her friend.

Kevin scoffed. "Yeah? Which bouncer?"

"Jimmy Clifton." Fiona smirked, I noticed a hint of pride in her voice. She liked this guy that much was obvious. He clearly liked her too.

Kevin was taken aback momentarily, stunned. "Jimmy Cli..." He shook his head. "Well, Jesus, man, put it there! Respect!" Kevin smiled, shaking Steve's hand.

"Jimmy Clifton a badass or something?" I whispered to Lip, who still had his arm around my shoulder.

Lip nodded and smirked around the beer bottle he was taking a drink out of before setting it on the coffee table. Carl dove for the beer bottle and started drinking it. Fiona snatched it out of his hand despite his protests and finished it off herself.

"Guy just stands there, doesn't really do anything." Steve said quietly…

Kevin sat down on the futon on the other side of Lip. "Yeah, you'll be his third conviction. Huh? Third or fourth. I can't remember."

"Fourth. Yeah." Lip corrected him.

Steve's face fell slightly. They had to be fucking with him.

"I mean, after that much practice, you would think the man would have manslaughter down by now. No more fuck-ups like last time, like leaving his dad still breathing." Kevin said animatedly.

"His dad." Steve looked around at us like he was gonna blow chunks all over the carpet.

"Yeah. Five years, over an '87 Monte Carlo with 200,000 miles on the odometer." Kevin chuckled. "A fucking Monte Carlo!"

"Okay, come on, time for bed. Up the wooden hill. Come on." Fiona announced, ushering Carl and Debby to their feet.

"Come on, let's go." Lip grabbed Debby by the back of her pink night robe and pushed her forward.

"I don't wanna go to bed." She protested.

"I don't care." Lip replied mimicking her high pitched voice.

I laughed a little and stood up. Lip waited at the stairs for me. Ian had ran up ahead of us. Debby trudged up the steps begrudgingly.

"Are you sure you're okay with me crashing here?" I asked Lip as I approached the steps.

"You can sleep in my bed." Carl shot out, passing by me.

"No she's not!" Fiona called out from the living room. "Bed. Now."

Lip scratched the back of his head. "I'm cool with it. I'm not gonna send you out in the cold. Come on." Lip gently touched my elbow. We walked up the stairs together slowly because of my crutch. We made it to Lip, Ian and Carl's room and headed inside.

The room was dark already, safe for some old Christmas lights Lip had hanging around the top of where his bunk bed was in the shape of a star. I took off my elbow crutch, relishing the relief of not having it wrapped around my arm. I could walk a little without it, but it was harder. Having something to lean on made it easier for me.

"You can have under the covers. I'll lay on top." Lip offered.

"When's the last time you washed your sheets?" I retorted.

He flipped me the finger in response as I toed out of my boots. I climbed up the little wooden ladder onto Lip's bed. I felt Lip's hand gently at my back so I wouldn't fall. I scooted over to the side of the bed by the wall and Lip climbed up.

This was…weird. A little.

We laid there in silence for a long time, shoulders touching. Ian was already snoring and I could hear music coming out of Carl's headphones. My phone buzzed in my pocket, making me fish it out. I had 10 missed calls from Andrew and 4 texts from Kyle.

I dialed my voicemail and held the phone to my ear, feeling a lump forming in my throat. "You stupid fucking little cunt. You're gonna pay for this!" I hung up, not needing to hear anymore.

I opened the texts from Kyle next.

 _You better get your ass back here and deal with this shit, bitch. -K_

 _He is destroying the house because of you. -K_

 _All you had to do was put out and none of this would be happening. -K_

 _You better run and hide that's all I have to say. -K_

I hadn't realized my hand was shaking until I put my phone back in my pocket. Lip glanced at me, but said nothing. Tears were burning the back of my eyes and my nose felt like it was being stung. I clamped my hands down over my eyes to keep the tears at bay. "He's gonna kill me."

I didn't mean to say the words out loud.

"Your foster dad?" Lip asked, quietly.

I removed my hands and he could tell I was crying. I felt tears rolling down the side of my cheeks and quickly wiped them away. I hated crying in front of people. "Can you not look at me?"

"Why?"

"Because I'm an ugly cryer." I sniffles and picked at a poster on his wall. It was for a band I never heard of.

"You're gonna be fine." I felt Lip's hand brush against mine on the bed and then I felt our hands intertwine with each other.

It was weird having his warm calloused hand in mine. Weird, but surprisingly nice.

"How do you know?" I looked at him through the dimly lit room.

"Because you've made it this far. Plus, you've got me now." Lip spoke calmly staring at the posters on his ceiling above us. He gave my hand a light squeeze, running his thumb over my hand sending chills running up my arm.

"This is not how I imagined my day would end." I whispered, not wanting to wake Ian or Carl.

"Oh, I knew we'd end up in bed together." Lip shot out, being cocky.

"Shut up, Gallagher." I half laughed, rolling my eyes.

As much as I wanted to keep holding his hand I pulled my hand out of his and turned on my side facing away from him. I hated myself for liking holding his hand. Lip was a total player. I know he's hooked up with half the girls at our school, Karen Jackson included. Not that he would ever even see me that way or that I want him to. "Goodnight, Lip."

"Night, Em's." Lip replied back, settling into bed more.

 **A/N: Thank you so much for the latest reviews! I love them so much! Keep em coming! I hope you are liking the friendships that are starting to be built. This chapter was super crazy to write with everyone, so I apologize if it was all over the place!**


	5. Chapter 5: Sugar Rot

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews! I love hearing your thoughts on the story!**

 **I forgot to mention previously, Emma Taylor is portrayed by Britt Robertson!**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Lip's Point of View**

"7:15 guys! Get up!" Fiona yelled rather loudly outside my bedroom, banging her fist on the door, pulling me out of unconsciousness.

I moaned and opened my eyes only to see a still sleeping Emma lying beside me. The room was still deadly quiet so I knew Ian and Carl hadn't woken up. With sleep still in my eyes I took the opportunity to really look at Emma. I didn't really have a choice either since she was lying right the fuck in front of me. Her hands were tucked under her chin and her head was just barely touching the edge of my pillow. Part of her side bangs were falling across her face. I fought the urge to brush the hair away. There was an almost peaceful look on her face too, but I could tell she wasn't completely at ease, every once in a while something on her would flinch or move.

I've slept with girls before, well I've fucked them, never actually slept with them, as in just actually sleep with them, so this was kinda weird for me.

I didn't hate it though, surprisingly.

That's when I noticed my arm was draped over Emma's side. How the fuck that happened I could never tell you. I wanted to move my arm, but it felt like I couldn't, or maybe deep down I didn't want to move it. Emma stirred in her sleep, rolling onto her back, never waking up. Now my hand was resting on her stomach. My pinky finger was just grazing the exposed skin on her stomach where her shirt had rose up a little when she turned.

Quickly, I moved my hand and rolled onto my back. Then I realized I had a problem. I had morning wood and looking at Emma had only made the problem worse.

The bedroom door swung open and in walked Fiona. I grabbed the pillow out from under my head and placed it across my lap and sat up partially. "Jesus, Fiona."

"Everyone up!" Fiona yanked the blankets off of Ian and Carl, causing them to groan and start to wake up.

Emma jerked awake in her sleep, sitting up so fast I thought she was gonna fling herself out of the bed. "What time is it?" She asked, as I glanced at her, she was wiping sleep out of her eyes and drool off her chin.

"7:30am! Let's go guys! Showers. Breakfast. School." Fiona barked out like the drill Sargent she should become. She made her way over to me and smirked, "Dentist appointment at 9:30am, Lip. Don't be late. I can't take you, but Kevin left the keys to his truck under the visor. Don't dent it, okay? I've gotta fill in for Rita. Her kids sick or something."

"Dentist, right." I'd completely forgot about that. I hopped off the bed.

"How'd you sleep?" Fiona asked Emma.

Emma gave her a weak smile. "Actually, better than I have in a long time. Thank you, both for letting me crash." Fiona smiled and nodded her head.

"It's no biggie. Here," Fiona handed her a white sweatshirt that was hers, "I thought you might wanna borrow something to wear to school."

Emma accepted the sweatshirt after climbing down off the bed and grabbing her crutch. "Thanks." She glanced at me as I lit a cigarette. I blew smoke out of my nostrils and looked away from her, hoping she didn't know how close we'd been sleeping together or the fact I had a hardon right now.

"You can change in my bedroom if the bathrooms occupied. I think Debs was in there." Fiona said, "It's just past the bathroom."

Emma nodded and made her way out of my room. Ian and Carl finally ventured out of bed. Carl yawned and walked out of the room. Ian grabbed a change of clothes and glanced at me before leaving the room as well.

Fiona turned to look at me, picking up dirty clothes off the floor and piling them in her arms. "Aren't you two adorable." She smirked at me.

"Fuck you." I murmured around the cigarette dangling between my lips. "Why did you tell her she could crash here anyway? You give me shit for having a girl here and want the door open, then you go and invite one in bed with me?" I looked at my older sister quizzically.

Fiona was about to walk out, when she paused and turned on her heels at my question. "Hey, you could have told her to crash on the couch." Fiona shot back at me.

"Yeah, so Frank could come in and piss on her in her sleep." I retorted.

"She nearly jumped through the roof when V, Steve and I walked in last night. She's scared and skittish. How much trouble she in with her foster dad?"

I shrugged, stubbing out my cigarette in the ashtray on the desk under my bed.

"He abusing her?" Fiona pressed. I didn't wanna think about that shit. She wasn't my girlfriend, I wasn't even sure if we were even friends, she was just some girl.

"I don't know. I hardly know her. Honestly, if Mr. Peters wouldn't have cornered me into tutoring her I never would have never spoken to the cripple. She's not exactly my type." The words left my mouth just as Emma appeared behind Fiona.

Of course she heard me being an asshole. Fuck me.

She had on Fiona's white sweatshirt with the NASA logo on the front. It looked good on her. Emma grabbed her coat and pulled it on and pulled a blue knit hat out and yanked it down over her head. "Thanks for letting me crash here, and for the shirt, Fiona."

"Anytime." Fiona told her, making me roll my eyes.

"Emma, I didn't mean…" I started to say, but Emma stopped me.

"It's cool, Lip." She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. Then she looked me dead in the eye. "Don't worry about it, jackass isn't my type either."

Emma stormed out of my room, well she tried, she stormed out about as fast as someone can with a crutch under one forearm. Fiona flung the pile of clothes she had in her hands at me. "You're a dick."

She walked out of the room after Emma. "Hey, wait up a second." I heard her say. I paused behind the door as I was about to close it and listened to Fiona and Emma out in the hallway.

"Debs told me you helped her bake those cookies. Thanks for that. I completely blanked on the bake sale at her school. You really did me a solid." Fiona thanked her. I felt a twinge in my chest. I didn't know where it was coming from but I felt like a prick for being rude to Emma just now. I don't even know why I called her a crip.

"It wasn't a big deal. Debby did most of the cooking. I think you've got the next Gordon Ramsey on your hands though." Emma laughed a little and so did Fiona.

"Don't mind Lip. He was dropped on his head way to many times as a child." Fiona insulted me. Bitch. With Frank as my father I probably was dropped on my head.

"I've been called worse. Don't worry about it. I'm pretty unbreakable. I'll see ya. Tell Debs I said good luck at the bake sale." Emma said and then I heard her head down the stairs.

I was still standing behind the door when Ian shoved it open right into me. "What the fuck are you doing?" He said, sitting down on his bed to put his shoes on.

"N Nothing." I mumbled, scratching the back of my head.

There was a long pause between us. Ian stood up gathering up his school shit. "Listen, about last night. I have a confession…" Ian said, getting my attention.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" This is it. He's gonna tell me he's fucking gay. Isn't he? That's what I want him to tell me. The truth.

"I've never had a blow job." Ian looked at me sheepishly. He was still gonna keep lying to me, right to my face. Never having a blowjob didn't explain the gay porn I found.

"Well, how bout we change that." I offered. "Meet me at Karen Jackson's house after school."

"Seriously?" Ian smirked.

"Dead serious. I'll make it happen." I slapped him on the shoulder as he walked past me and out of the room.

I heard everyone downstairs arguing over breakfast as I looked out the window. I spotted Emma walked out of our yard and onto the sidewalk. It had snowed a little more last night blanketing the ground with fresh powder. Fiona was right, I was a dick. For no reason. I hurried up and got dressed and found myself running downstairs and out the front door.

Kevin's truck was unlocked, so I hopped in and grabbed the keys from under the visor and started it. I spun out a little as I pulled away from the curb. I spotted Emma walking down the sidewalk a little further down the road. I slowed down and reached across the seat and rolled down the window.

"Hey! Wanna ride?" I offered.

She paused, looking at me like she wanted to kill me. Okay, I deserved that.

"Come on, it's cold. Let me take you to school." I tried again.

Even from here I could see her roll her eyes. She started walking again. I drove forward a little more.

"You can insult me all you want the entire way." I offered with a smirk.

Emma stopped walking. That got her attention and I felt my heartbeat accelerate slightly. She approached the truck and tossed her bag in through the window before getting in herself.

"Your room stinks." She told me bluntly, scrunching up her nose like she could still smell whatever Carl let die in our bedroom.

"I said you could insult me. Not my room." I reminded her, taking off down the road.

"Oh I'm just getting started. You're an asshole and arrogant and pretentious and pompous. Oh and you're a manipulator." Emma fired off. It was all true.

I held my finger up. "Ah, I like to think of myself as more of an outcome engineer than manipulative. Asshole, yes. Arrogant, possibly. Pretentious and pompous mean the same thing pretty much, just so you know."

"Did I mention you're a fucking know it all too and it's super annoying." She glared at me as we came to a stop sign. "I'll have you know that my genetic defect only happens to effect one in a pool of millions, so you could say that I'm truly one in million."

"Are you gonna start singing Hannah Montana now?" I glanced at her and smirked. She was staring at me with her eyebrow arched, fighting off a smile of her own. "What? I watch Disney with Debs. I know about Hannah Montana." I laughed knowing I'd one this little spat or whatever you wanted to call it.

It didn't take long to end up in front of the high school. Kids were pouring inside like cockroaches. "What no more insults?" I asked, pulling over by the curb.

"You were kinda a dick to Ian last night putting him on the spot like that." Emma looked at me pointedly.

"I know." I confessed.

I sighed, putting the truck in park. "Look, I don't think you're a cripple."

"It's okay, Lip. I am. I'm crippled on the outside and the inside." Emma said, opening the door and stepping out.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I handed her her bag and then her crutch.

"It means I'm more messed up on the inside than I am on the out. Thanks for the ride. I'll see you." She said, slamming the the door shut.

I found myself getting out of the truck and catching up to her. "What are you doing?" She looked at me surprised and maybe a little annoyed.

"Why don't you take the keys to Kev's truck and drive back to my place after school so we can study after. I promised we'd study at lunch today, but forgot about the dentist thing." I held the keys to Kevin's truck out to her and waited for her to take them. "Take em' I can walk to the dentist and back."

"Is this you still feeling guilty for calling me a cripple?" She arched her blonde eyebrow at me. Her hat was on crooked and I couldn't help but reach out and straighten it.

I shrugged, "Maybe." Yes.

She snatched the keys out of my hand and pocketed them.

"You can drive, right?" I asked afterwards.

"I guess we'll find out, won't we!" She smirked, backing away from me, giving me a shocked expression.

I flipped her the finger and couldn't hide the smile forming on my face.

•••••••••

Getting teeth pulled at the dentist was a fucking bitch. My face felt so swollen I went straight back to bed when I came home. I could hear Fiona talking to someone in the kitchen from my spot on the couch, so I got up. That dude Steve Fiona had brought home last night was standing by the bar. I guess he was trying to get laid again.

I glanced at Fiona and saw how unimpressed she was by Steve's presence here. She continued to do laundry.

"It's Phillip, right?" Steve offered when he saw me.

"It's dead man walking right? Jimmy Clifton called looking for you today." I half laughed, swinging the fridge open and grabbing a bottle of Pepsi.

"Ha. Funny. What no school today?" Steve asked, trying to keep this conversation going because clearly the one he was trying to have with Fiona was flaming out spectacularly and he needed a reason to stay here longer.

"Nah, I got some teeth pulled today." I explained, glancing at Fiona. She glared at me and mouthed for me to fuck off.

"Wisdom?" Steve pressed, trying to by himself more time.

"Sugar rot." I took a huge drink of Pepsi.

"Little known fact: don't just chew your food on one side, cause it can buckle your jaw, which in turn can buckle your hips and affect your posture." Steve rattled on.

"Oh, that's a fact." I replied dryly. This dude just wanted to fuck my sister.

"Lip." Fiona hissed. "Go."

"Skeletal fact." Steve smirked, rocking on his heels.

I smirked and headed out of the kitchen. I paused in the living room and turned around. "Hey, um, talk out your ass with that much conviction you end up needing a bigger toothbrush. That's an anal fact."

Fiona threw a balled up shirt at my back making me laugh as I fell back on the couch.

••••••••••

"What am I even gonna say? I don't know anything about science." Ian panicked beside me as we cut across the street to get to Karen's house. I'd texted her earlier and told her I needed a favor. She was happy to blow Ian. A little too happy about it if you asked me, but I tried not to think about it. I wasn't really sure what was going on between us.

"Dude, you'll be fine. Just read from the table of elements." I slapped him on the shoulder, locking my arm around him. "Cerium. Erbium. Praseodymium."

Ian looked like he was gonna pass out by the time we reached Karen's front door. I knocked and waited for Mrs. Jackson to open the door.

"You'll be fine, man." I assured Ian.

The door opened and Mrs. Jackson smiled at us both. "Oh! Lip! Karen is thrilled with you! She got an 'A' on her test today! Honey, your little helper is here!" Sheila called over her shoulder.

"This is my brother Ian." I gestured towards Ian who was about to puke.

"I'm out of bags so just leave your shoes out here so they can breath." Sheila instructed. Odd fucking woman.


	6. Chapter 6: Bonnie To My Clyde

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews! They make my day! I love reading your thoughts on the story and what you'd like to see! I'm promise as the story progresses more original content will be added, but I am going to be doing each episode and adding my own twists to it!**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Emma's Point of View**

The last bell of the day rang, signaling freedom. I'd managed to miraculously avoid all of my foster brothers the entire day, but not without having to get a little crafty. I ate lunch in the abandoned girls bathroom, which was disgusting, but peaceful. I spent my two free periods in the library hiding behind bookcases, because Kyle and his goons don't even know where the library is located. When I saw Kyle in the hallway I stumbled into Mr. Pearson's health class as he was going over the reproductive system. Awkward didn't even begin to describe that moment. I just had to make it off campus and I'd be home free.

I couldn't believe Lip was actually letting me borrow Kevin's truck. I didn't even know Kevin. But yet here I am with the keys in my hand. When I'd walked in on him talking to Fiona about me and heard him call me a cripple, it hurt, I wasn't going to lie and say it didn't, but it was just a word. Lip was right I am crippled, but it doesn't define me. I am so much more, despite everyone else telling me I'm nothing.

Kevin's red truck was like a beacon of hope pulling me towards it. I made it to the truck without slipping in the slush of snow and ice. I was unlocking the door when I heard Kyle's voice. So close. If you looked up asshole in the dictionary, Kyle's photo would be there.

"Well, if it isn't sunshine Barbie!" Kyle called out. I opened the door to the truck and tossed my bag in as he approached me. He slammed the door shut, causing me to step backwards, startled.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. "What do you want, Kyle?" I couldn't help notice the bruise under his left eye and the cut on his lip. "What happened to you?" I asked more out of curiosity than concern.

Kyle was no better than Andrew in my opinion. He thought every girl wanted to sleep with him and he was God's gift to the earth.

"Oh, this?" He pointed to his injuries. "That was from Andrew. Told me to pass it along to you." Kyle smirked, stepping forward, trying to intimidate me. I stood my ground, knowing he'd never do anything to me here. Students and teachers were bustling across the front lawn of our high school heading home or to extracurricular activities for the day.

I'd just finished sitting through yearbook committee. I was our schools photographer. It was mandatory that I be there. I was praying Lip didn't think I stole Kevin's truck and ran off with it.

"You know I'm starting to think your mouth is a sewer because all you do is talk shit!" I shot out, opening the truck door again. "Andrew can kiss my ass. He tried to rape me. If I had to do it all over again, I'd stab him in the face."

I tossed my crutch in the truck and then got in. Kyle was holding the door open, making it unable for me to shut it. "Andrew told me to get you to get your ass back at the house, so that's what I'm gonna do. You've been hanging out with the Gallagher's haven't you?" Kyle smirked wickedly, and my stomach sunk to my feet. "Be a real shame if I had to beat the shit out of one of them. Or both."

"Leave Ian and Lip out of this!" I snapped, furiously. My voice cracked on Lip's name and Kyle caught it. If either one of them got hurt because of me it would kill me. I didn't know the boys that well, but they were nice to me. They were honestly the closest thing to friends I had at the moment.

Safe for the stray cat that roams outside of my work.

"Lip it is then!" Kyle chuckled, stepping in closer. He slipped his hand onto my cheek roughly, making me look at him. He gripped my neck tightly. I slammed my hand into his wrist but it did no good. "Either you come home by tonight or I beat the shit out of Lip. Don't worry I won't put him in the morgue, just the ICU. I'm not gonna keep taking the beatings meant for you and I'm not gonna let my boys take em' either." Kyle's grip got even tighter. Looking into his eyes was like looking into a black hole. There was nothing there. They were tired and lifeless.

His boys. Caleb, West and Jack. They'd all formed a posse to protect one another at the house and conveniently left me to fend for myself. They were cowards. All of them.

I spotted Principle McCormick walking across the street to her car in the second parking lot and slammed my hand down on the horn. It blared loudly making Kyle let go and jump back as everyone looked our way. Quickly I slammed the door shut and locked the truck.

Kyle gave me a sinister sneer as I flipped him the finger through the window. I started the truck and sped away from the curb.

I'd made it about a mile away from the school when I stopped at a red light. I swallowed the lump in my throat and avoided looking at myself in the mirrors because I knew I'd see tears staining my cheeks. How did this become my life? I knew exactly how this became my life. I was ten when my mom ditched me. I'd literally just had a spinal fusion to correct the curvature of my spine. I remember waking up in the hospital and her not being there. I remember thinking, maybe she's getting food or sleeping. I remember being on morphine and not being able to sleep because the doctor had punctured one of my lungs during surgery and the breathing treatments they had me on blew the whole bigger. I remember her not being there when they put in a chest tube.

The nurses kept blowing off my questions and covering for her, because they didn't know what else to do. They'd tell me they spoke to her on the phone and that she was just at home getting some rest. That she'd be here soon. Then I remember a social worker coming to see me and I knew she was never coming back. I knew at ten years old that my life was changed forever.

I remember wishing I'd never woke up from that surgery.

The sound of my phone ringing pulled me out of my own head. I dug it out of my coat pocket and answered it, not recognizing the number.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Thank god! Listen, it's Lip! I need you to pick me and Ian up. Now!" Lip shouted, it sounded like he was running or just really out of breath.

"Where are you?" I questioned, confused. "How did you get my number?" I didn't remember giving it to him.

"Em's! Focus. Meet us near the bridge on 6th street! Hurry!" And then the line went dead. What the hell?

The light was green so I went through it and headed to where Lip said to meet. I slowed down when I came to the bridge and spotted two guys huddled by the wall, hiding in the shadows. They spotted the truck and ran towards me. Lip was limping and missing shoes and Ian was carrying his.

They swung the door open and climbed in quickly, looking over their shoulders. "Drive. Drive. Go! Go!" They both yelled almost hysterically. I took off down the road and glared at them.

"What did you do? Why are you limping?" I questioned, glancing at them and then the road, gripping the steering wheel.

"Jumped out of a window." Lip panted out, reaching down and clutching his ankle. "Fuck that hurts."

"Who's window?! Did you break into someone's house?" I asked, frantically looking behind me, waiting to see and hear police sirens. Great. We were all gonna go to jail.

"I wish we would have! Least you don't get the death penalty for breaking and entering!" Ian yelled, more so at Lip than at me.

"How was I supposed to know a fucking apple would fall on the floor and Karen's dad would reach down to pick it up and see her giving you head? Huh? Who the fuck could predict that?!" Lip yelled back, his face was blood red, sweat beading across his forehead. Either from rage, pain or from running.

"You're the fucking smartass in the family! You should have been able to predict it! Ian yelled angrily.

"You guys are morons! You let Karen blow you at her house with her parents home! How stupid are you?" I shot out, half laughing because this was so absurd it was hilarious.

"It was his idea!" Ian shot out, smacking Lip in the back of the head. Lip shoved Ian in the shoulder in return.

"It seemed foolproof to me. Fuck, my foot!" Lip groaned in pain, leaning down in the seat clutching his ankle again. "Home. Get us home, Em's."

•••••••••

We made it back to Lip and Ian's house and managed to get Lip upstairs and in Carl's bed with his injured foot. I was relieved the cops weren't after us, only Karen's father. Well he was after Ian and Lip. I couldn't exactly blame him, but I still didn't wanna see him murder Ian and Lip in cold blood either.

Fiona sat on the edge of Carl's bed examine Lip's injured foot. She wasn't buying the story Ian was trying to sell her right now either about Lip being a heroic young man trying to stop the doors on the train from closing on an old lady's walker. Dumb and dumber concocted that half bright idea while we were climbing the stairs to get to the bedroom.

"Really? An old lady on the train?" Fiona looked at her younger brothers, skeptical. She was seeing right through this bullshit .

"Oh, yeah, yeah. The, um, the doors were closing on her walker, and Lip barely got his foot in in time to stop them from..." Ian continued to explain in a rush, still a little panicky himself.

Fiona squeezed Lip's foot, eliciting a loud groan from him. "Jesus, Fiona!"

"Can't remember whether that's good or bad." Fiona fretted, standing up and pacing around the bedroom.

Lip ran a hand down the side of his bloodshot face and groaned again.

"More likely, you two jumped the turnstiles again and he twisted it trying to outrun the transit cops." Fiona accused, trying to piece together the truth. They should have just went with that. It was more believable.

"I think his leg needs to be elevated." I suggested, unable to sit back and watch Lip suffer in so much agony.

"Yes! Always elevate extremities!" Veronica called out walking through the door in a hurry. "Get his leg up before he gets a fucking embolism." She was looking at me, so I gently lifted Lip's leg and shoved two pillows under it.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, trying not to make it worse.

"Yeah, like you're not enjoying this." Lip shot out, wincing.

"I wasn't, but now I kinda am." I smirked at him, playfully.

Lip grimaced at me. Veronica sat down in a chair at the end of the bed and took Lip's foot in her hand. He flinched at her touch. "You okay, Lip?"

"Yeah, just please don't... don't touch it." Lip ordered frantically. Veronica removed her hands and just looked at his swollen foot.

"Okay. Wiggle your toes." Veronica instructed.

Lip groaned in pain, but managed to wiggle each toe.

"Man this is like a real life Grey's Anatomy episode." Debby gushed, wide eyed, sitting on Lip's bunk bed with Carl.

"When have you watched Grey's Anatomy?" Fiona snapped. Debby clammed up and zipped her lips, making me laugh a little.

"Ian, go to my house, top of the freezer." Veronica turned and looked at Ian. "Two ice packs. Second cupboard above the sink. Liquid ibuprofen, freeze spray, ACE bandages."

"Sure." Ian nodded and started to head for the door.

"Shouldn't we get it X-rayed?" Fiona wondered aloud, pacing, rubbing her forehead.

"Fuck no! He'll be in the E.R. forever, and for what Sub-metatarsal hematoma. Thanks. Tell us something we didn't know five hours ago. Fuck off." Veronica said, shaking her head. I loved how out spoken she was. Everything she said was true too. I'd spent my fair share of time in hospitals with my SMA and being injured in foster care. "Oh, Ian!" Veronica yelled, making Ian pop his head back in the bedroom, eyebrow arched. "My bedroom, top of the TV. Pack of smokes and a lighter. Thank you!"

"Sure thing!" Ian called out from down the hallway.

There was a sudden loud knock at the front door.

"Shit! I'm not here! I'm not here!" Lip called out, rolling himself up in Carl's comforter and rolling off the bed onto the floor. "You don't know us, Fiona!" Ian yelled running back into the bedroom and hiding under Lip's desk.

Fiona looked at her brothers and the state they were in and shook her head, shocked and mortified. Oh, what have you done? What have you done?!" She shrieked, then ran to get the door. Carl followed after her hot on her heels.

"The fuck did you idiots do?" Veronica questioned, looking at me waiting for an answer.

"I was just the get away driver." I held my hand up surrendering, shaking my head.

"Who is it?" Lip asked, peeking his head out from under Carl's bed, looking up at me. He pointed to the window.

I peeked between the curtains discreetly. The only thing I saw was a delivery truck parked out on the street and some guy unloading a large brown box. I smirked to myself, a plan forming in my mind. I had to fuck with Ian and Lip. "Oh my god. You guys are so screwed."

"Is it him?" Ian whispered from under the desk.

"We're fucked. We are so fucking fucked." Lip moaned under the bed.

"Relax, it's a delivery truck." I half laughed, stepping away from the window.

Lip crawled out from under the bed and looked out the bottom of the window, then he looked at me, shaking his head. "That's not funny! At all!"

"I thought it was pretty fucking hilarious." I laughed but it came out more like a giggle. Lip grabbed my waist and knocked me down onto Carl's bed. He threw himself on top of me and started tickling me.

"Who's laughing now!" Lip chuckled as I pushed his chest laughing. He fell off of me and onto his back. I sat up and smacked him in the stomach.

"Ouch! Jesus. I'm already injured." He faked rubbing his stomach like I actually did permanent damage to him.

"You're lucky it wasn't your busted up foot!" I shot out.

Ian climbed out from under the desk and ran next door to grab the list of things Veronica had told him to get for her. He returned with an armful of stuff a few minutes later.

"You mind holding his leg up?" Veronica asked, I shook my head and lifted the bottom of Lip's leg gently. Veronica sprayed the freeze spray on his ankle and toes. Then she wrapped it in an ACE bandage.

"That should do it." Veronica smiled at me and Lip. "You two are quite the pair."

"She's the Bonnie to my Clyde." Lip replied sarcastically, sitting up next to me. He elbowed me in the arm and sighed, accepting the ibuprofen Veronica was handing him.

"You learn extremities need to be elevated in foster care?" Veronica pressed, looking at me as she cleaned up everything she had used on Lip's foot.

"Yeah, fuck Harvard medical school. Just get tossed in the foster system and you'll know everything you need to know. I've reset two broken fingers, a shoulder, and successfully healed a bruised knee. That's just on myself."

Lip stared at me, but said nothing. I didn't want his pity. What happened, happened.

"Jesus Christ. My Kev had to deal with that shit his whole life." Veronica spoke, a sad smile on her lips. "You two have a lot in common."

"I wish we didn't have that in common." I told her honestly.

"No shit." She nodded.

We helped Lip stand up and get steady on his feet before walking down the back staircase leading into the kitchen. "Ice and Ibuprofen, okay? Try and stay off your foot as much as possible too." Veronica instructed Lip. He sat down on the steps, so I sat down next to him.

"Thanks for being the getaway driver." He whispered as everyone else was talking about the new washer that had been delivered and was now sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor.

We stared at each other and for some reason I couldn't help but laugh and shake my head. Lip was a piece of work. He was completely different than I had originally pegged him out to be. Nicer than I thought. Still an ass, but also so much more.

"Never again." I smirked at him then look at Fiona holding a bouquet of roses in her hand.

"I thought you were broke?" Veronica looked at Fiona and the brand new Samsun washer with a glimmer of amusement.

"That's what I said." Ian chuckled, leaning against the kitchen counter.

Fiona smiled and smelled the roses in her hands. "These were in the washer!" She looked at Veronica practically jumping up and down. Fiona composed herself quickly though.

"No! Who from?" Veronica waved her hand in the air for Fiona to continue.

"From Steve." She gave Veronica a half smile, hiding her face behind the roses.

"Steve?" Veronica's brows furrowed together. "Oh shit, from the other night!"

"Wait, that hot guy that was here the other night sent you a new washer and roses?" I asked out loud, unable to hide the smile on my face. That was probably the cutest fucking thing ever.

"Yeah, he was pretty hot!" Fiona scrunched up her nose as she smiled.

"You thought that guy was hot?" Lip asked me, skepticism lacing his voice.

"Yes, he was hot. Rich. Handsome. Obviously thoughtful too!" I pointed out.

"Poke a hole in that condom then Fiona." Lip shot out like the smart ass he is.

"Clean clothes, yes!" Debby shouted, "I call the first load that goes in!" She ran upstairs pushing past Lip and I to go presumably get dirty laundry.

••••••

It was working on eleven o'clock at night. Lip and I were sitting on the couch studying. His leg was propped up on a pillow on the coffee table. The TV was turned down low and Debby and Carl were asleep on the other end of the couch. I was waiting for Lip to finish looking over the practice test he'd just given me when I found myself letting my eyes close. My head touched Lip's shoulder and I shot back awake and sat up.

"Sorry." I whispered, giving him a sheepish grin.

"We can call it a night." Lip offered, closing his books and sitting them on the coffee table.

"I should get going." I grabbed my crutch about to push myself off the couch.

"You just crash here if you want." Lip offered, but I didn't wanna take him up on it. I was planning on riding the L till morning. I wasn't Lip's problem.

Before I could answer a loud bang rang out in the distance out front followed by a car alarm going off. Lip and I shared a weary glance and both headed to the front door. I walked down the front steps to see Kyle and West taking a bag to Kevin's truck!

"Stop!" I yelled, "What are you doing?!"

"Get the fuck out of here!" Lip yelled, hobbling down off the porch now.

Kyle slammed the bat into the front headlight of Kevin's truck and then headed towards Lip. Kevin and Veronica's porch light flickered on.

"Just the man I wanted to see! Lip Gallagher!" Kyle yelled, he was clearly high. He howled at the moon like a wolf as he sauntered towards us. I put myself between Lip and Kyle.

"What the hell is going on?" I heard Veronica yell from her front porch, which meant Kevin wouldn't be far behind her. "My truck! You little fuckers!" Kevin yelled barreling out of the house in his boxers. West took off to the car they showed up in. He hopped in the driver seat and pulled in front of Lip's house.

"It's time to come home, sis." Kyle insisted.

"She's not going anywhere with your psycho ass!" Lip spoke up for me.

"What's going on!" Fiona shouted, I turned to see her Ian, Debby and Carl all huddled on their porch watching this all go down.

This was all my fault.

Kyle went to come at Lip, but I shoved him back. "I'm coming, okay! Leave him alone!" I shrieked, feeling tears burning my eyes.

"Get in the fucking car!" Kyle ordered, opening the door on the little piece of shit Cobalt they had probably stole.

"I'm so sorry." I yelled down the street to Kevin and Veronica. They were making their way towards us now. I didn't want them to get hurt. Kyle was unpredictable when he was high depending on what he was on.

I didn't have a choice. I had to go home and face what I'd done to Andrew and pray he didn't kill me. I started to make my way to the car when I felt Lip grab my hand. I looked over my shoulder at him.

"You're not going anywhere." He insisted.

"I'm not your problem, Lip. Just let me go." I said, tears streaming down my cheeks.

Lip held onto my hand for what seemed like forever before he finally let our hands fall from one another's. I shoved Kyle in the chest, pushing him towards the car.

"You better fucking run asshole!" Kevin yelled, coming after Kyle now.

We both got in the car quickly, West speeding off before I even had my door shut all the way.


	7. Chapter 7: Rehoming

****warning** this chapter may be triggering for some as it deals with assault and sexual assault, which the show did have aspects of!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Lip's Point of View**

Sitting in Mr. Peters class, I knew I should be paying attention but I couldn't help let my mind wonder. I looked at Emma's empty seat for the hundredth time, hoping that she was okay. I hadn't seen her all day and I scoured the halls as soon as I got to school this morning. I knew I shouldn't have let her leave with her dick of a foster brother last night, but yet I did. Kevin wanted to go after him for fucking up his truck, I should have let him. Mentally cursing myself, I began to nervously tap my pencil, waiting for the bell to ring. The quicker I could get out of this class, the quicker I could check on Emma.

I have no idea why I was so worried, I've never been this worried over someone before. Well, someone who wasn't my brother or sister. Here I am though, a nervous wreck over a girl that came into my life only days ago. How did this even happen? Groaning, I leaned back in my seat, bouncing my leg, counting down the seconds until this class was over.

I felt someone tapping my shoulder and turned slightly to see that it was Karen behind me. She leaned forward, breathing lightly in my ear. "Do you think you could come over and help me fix a broken window after school?"

"How'd you break a window?" I asked, knowing it was a dumb question, but my mind was just that preoccupied.

"Threw one of my dads stupid ass clown figurines out it at him when he bailed on me and my mom." Karen continued to fill me in. My eyes remained on the clock. Jesus Christ time moves slow when you want it to speed the fuck up.

"That my fault?" I questioned, turning in my seat slightly to look at her. Her dad wants me and Ian dead for what we did, well, what Karen did under the table.

"No. He's been looking for a reason to bail for a while. Coward." Karen muttered, rubbing my shoulder, sending warmth across my chest.

As soon as the bell rang, I sprung out of my seat, and was almost to the door when Mr. Peters voice caused me to turn around. Karen had been following after me and ran into my back. She giggled and stepped around me, waiting at the door for me.

"Uh, Mr. Gallagher, a word please?" Mr. Peters asked, causing me to roll my eyes and turn around.

"Yeah?" I asked, the annoyance clear in my voice.

"Ms. Taylor missing today's test isn't going to reflect well on her grade. I was hoping to use it to see how the tutoring is going." Mr. Peters explained. "Do you know where she is?"

"No, but the tutoring is going well. She's starting to really get the hang of it all." I found myself defending Emma, shocking not only Mr. Peters but myself as well.

"Well, then, maybe I'll allow her to make it up when she returns to class, just to see how well this is actually going." Mr. Peters said, looking at me skeptically. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I nodded my head at him, eager to get out of the classroom. I pulled out my phone and texted Emma again, hoping this time she'd respond but I still hadn't heard from her. We'd exchanged numbers the other night at the house. Fiona was gonna kill me if I used all the minutes we had on the phone calling Emma. I'd left a few awkward messages, hoping that they'd entice her to call me back. Obviously it didn't work.

"What'd Mr. Peters want?" Karen's voice caused me to look up from my phone.

"Uh, nothing, something about extra credit or some shit, I don't know. Listen, when you were blowing Ian, did he, ya know, pitch a tent?" I whispered, making sure no one walking past heard me.

Karen gave me a sympathetic look. "Have you ever tried playing pool with a rope?"

Well, there's that. I shook my head and ran a hand down the side of my face agitated and annoyed. Karen slipped her hands onto my waist and leaned into my chest, standing on her tip toes to reach my ear. "How about we have some fun in the girls bathroom?" Her hand snaked down my chest onto my crouch, which was getting hard. I was considering her offer when a voice caused me to lose all train of thought.

"If you asked me, that bitch finally got what she deserved." Kyle's voice sounded from my right. "Serves her right for not putting out!" Caleb laughed. I turned to see them both marching down the hallway. Kyle made eye contact with me as they passed, the pure look of joy and sinister happiness on his face told me something horrible had happened to Emma.

"So what do you say?" Karen snapped at me.

I looked at her and shook my head. "Not today." I walked around her heading down the hall quickly.

"Fine! I'll find someone else!" Karen called out. I didn't really care at the moment. Karen and I weren't together, we just fooled around a lot. Maybe it could be something more, maybe not. I didn't really tend to think that far ahead.

Ian was grabbing books at his locker and shoving them in his bag. He'd just slammed his locker shut when I caught up to him. "What's up, man?"

"Do you know where Emma lives?" I asked, feeling my heart pounding in my chest. My stomach was in knots. I was tired from tossing and turning all night. My fucking foot wasn't exactly feeling great either from my epic fall out Karen's window.

"No, I don't. You still haven't heard from her?" Ian stopped walking and scanned the halls, like he was looking for someone. "Hang on, I know who might know where she lives. Follow me." I followed Ian down the hallway, pushing past asshole students, until we came to a stop in front of Mandy Milkovich's locker.

Loud rock music blared from her earbuds, hidden behind her raven colored hair. I yanked her earbud out, startling her. She glared at me with dark eyes. "What the fuck?"

"Sorry, uh, you're friends with Emma Taylor, right?" Ian asked, hope filled his voice. "I've seen you and her talking in the halls before."

Mandy stared at us like we had three heads and were speaking fucking Latin. "We're friendly, not friends. Why the fuck do you care?"

"Do you know where she lives?" I butted in.

Mandy's daggers now landed on me. It wasn't a surprise for Mandy to be acting like a bitch. It was in her nature being a Milkovich and from the south side. Mickey and her other brothers terrorized everyone and everything in sight this side of the tracks.

Mandy arched a dark brow at me. "Why do you care Gallagher?"

I sighed. Why the fuck did I care? I shook my head as I started to walk away. Mandy's voice stopped me in my tracks though.

"She lives over on Wilson Ave. The house with the blue tarp on half of the roof, I think." Mandy said, then she put her earbud back in and pushed past Ian's shoulder, making her way down the hallway.

••••••••••

Ian and I were standing in front of a two story shit hole. A blue plastic tarp flapped on the roof in the cold wind. I flicked my cigarette into the street and headed up the front steps, nails and screws crunching under my boots. Ian followed behind me, cautiously.

"This place is a shit hole." He grumbled, kicking nails off the porch with his sneaker.

"Lot like our place." I smirked, still unsure of why I was even here. Emma wasn't anything to me. We were sort of friends, maybe. "Must have had the same builder as we did."

Ian cupped his hands at his mouth and blew warm air on them to fight off the frigid temperature. I bounced on the balls of my feet, trying to keep blood flowing as I knocked on the door.

Five minutes passed and no one answered, but I could hear a tv on inside, so someone had to be here. I balled my fist up and slammed it into the door again several times. Ian and I stepped back slightly as the door swung open. West Clinton stared back at me.

"What the fuck do you want, Gallagher's?" He snapped out, harshly, spitting chewing tobacco out the open door onto the front porch.

"Emma, asshole. Is she here?" I felt my blood beginning to boil.

West chuckled. "No." He attempted to shut the door, but I jammed my foot inside, stopping him.

"Watch yourself, Gallagher!" West pushes me back forcefully, but I held my ground.

"Emma? It's Lip and Ian." I called out, but got no response. West glared at me like he wanted to murder me. The feeling was mutual. "Emma?"

"Maybe she's not here." Ian said, grabbing my shoulder.

"Yeah, listen to your little bitch. Maybe she's not here." West laughed, trying to close the door again.

"Fuck it." Without thinking I pushed the door open and took a swing at West. My fist collided with his jaw on the first swing, sending vibrations of pain up my hand and arm. West was on the ground, clutching his jaw like a pussy.

"Jesus, Lip." Ian chuckled.

"Watch him." I ordered. "Emma?"

The living room we'd crashed into didn't have much in it. A couch and a tv on a table. That's it. I glanced down the hallway past the staircase and saw a dining room table pushed against a wall. My eyes caught sight of a black boot on the floor and my heart sank inside my chest. Emma was wearing those boots last night. I ran into the kitchen and saw her tiny crumbled little body lying curled on her side. I froze for a moment, unsure of what to do. I'd seen Frank beat to hell and drunk and high before and never batted an eye, but this was…different.

As I stepped closer my boots crunched down on something, I glanced at my feet to see a line of white rice on the floor, my eyes followed the trail of rice to Emma's bloodied up knees. I knelt down and brushed her once blonde hair, now matted and covered in blonde, out of her face. The sight made me almost want to vomit.

"Jesus." I whispered, checking for a pulse. I felt one strong and steady beneath my fingers.

"Is she in there, Lip. West is getting a little restless. We need to go." Ian called out. I heard him kick West to keep him on the ground and something inside me snapped and I knew what I needed to do.

"Emma? Can you hear me? It's Lip." I started to gently sit her up, and she groaned. That's a good sign. "Come on. Wake up. You're okay. You're gonna be okay."

"No," she mumbled but it was slurred and almost incoherent. "Can't move."

I got her sat up and finally saw her face and where the blood was coming from. Her lip was busted wide open and there was a large gash below her left eye, her right eye was semi swollen shut as well. Her hand was clutching her side tightly. She stuck her free hand out to stop me from touching her. "You have to go."

"No. I'm not leaving you here. Not like this. We're gonna go. Right now." She was only wearing a white sweater and a pair of pajama shorts, so I yanked my coat off and tried to wrap it around her but she flinched away from me. "Hey, Hey, it's okay. It's cold. I'm just gonna put my coat on you. Then we're gonna get outta here." I assured her.

Her entire body was trembling as she made eye contact with me out of her one good eye. "No. It'll be worse if I leave. You have to go." She slurred her words even more, and I felt my heart breaking. I didn't even know I had a fucking heart.

"I'm not leaving you." I told her sternly. "I'm gonna put my coat on you, okay?" I held out my brown jacket staring her down. She was terrified and traumatized. Tears silently slid down her cheek mixing with the wet and dried blood on her face. I moved closer towards her and gently slipped one of her arms into my jacket and wrapped it around her, she moaned when I tried to move the other arm she had clutching her side. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I wrapped it around her shoulder the best I could without moving her.

"He'll come after you, Lip." Emma cried out.

"Can you walk?" I asked, ignoring her worrying about me, looking around for her crutch. It was slung across the kitchen floor, lying next to a pool of blood. Emma's blood…

Emma nodded, but when I went to help her up she screamed out in agony.

"Holy fuck." Ian said, now staring down at us.

"Get her crutch. Let's go." I ordered.

Carefully, I got Emma in my arms and picked her up. Her body melted right into mine. She was freezing, probably because the house was freezing cold. We didn't have a lot, but Fiona always made sure we had fucking heat in the winter, most of the time.

I carried Emma down the hall leading to the door, not evening looking at West lying on the floor. Ian must have given him one or two kicks to the nuts because he was clutching his crotch and crying. Pussy.

Ian was on my heels as we walked down the street. He took off his blue puffer coat and laid it across Emma's exposed legs to try and keep her warm until we could get her back at the house. It was about a fifteen minute walk from here, at least.

"Grab the cell from my pocket and call V, tell her to meet us at the house, now." I instructed. Ian did as he was told as we walked.

Emma's forehead was resting against my cheek. I held her even tighter, knowing this was my fault. If I hadn't let her leave last night, none of this would have happened. Emma moaned and clutched my shirt at my neck, looking up at me, and as our eyes met I saw the life leave her beautiful eyes, even if she wasn't dead.

She was never gonna be the same after this.

••••••••••

"Get the door!" I yelled, urging Ian to hurry ahead of me and open it as I carried Emma up the front steps of our house.

We got her inside and I sat her on the couch, as gentle as possible. "You're gonna be okay, I promise." I told Emma, sitting next to her on the couch.

"Hey, guys, supper is almost ready!" Fiona called out from the kitchen.

"Get some rags or something." I told Ian, pushing Emma's hair away from her face so I could get a better look at the damage that had been executed.

Ian ran into the kitchen as Fiona was walking out.

"Oh my god! What happened to her?" Fiona rushed to Emma's side and sat down next to her as Ian brought me a damp wash cloth.

"Her fucking foster father happened to her." I shot out. I gently dabbed the oozing blood under Emma's eye, making her wince.

"Gimme that. You call, V?" Fiona looked between me and Ian frantically. She delicately dabbed near the gash under Emma's eye.

"Shes on her way…" Ian said, just as the front door swung open.

"She's here! Move. Give me room to work." Veronica shouted, marching into the living room with her medical bag, shoving Ian and I out of the way.

Fiona got up and grabbed my arm, dragging me into the kitchen.

"What the hell, Lip?" Fiona probed, her wide eyes now filled with concern.

"She wasn't at school. I got worried, so I went to check on her. She was lying on the kitchen floor like a beaten dog. I wasn't gonna leave her there. She's not going back!" I explained, pacing around the kitchen, before snatching a beer out of the fridge.

I twisted the cap off and tossed it onto the floor, downing half of it.

"You did the right thing by getting her outta there, but Jesus, Lip, she needs a hospital." Fiona pointed out, gesturing towards Emma on the couch with Veronica.

Veronica was examining all her wounds and cuts, with Ian assisting.

"Why take her to a hospital, so they can patch her up and send her to the next asshole that's gonna beat the shit out of her? No." I shook my head. My jaw tensed as I thought about beating the living shit out of her foster dad.

"She have any other family?" Fiona asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No." I shook my head.

I downed the rest of my beer and slung the bottle in the sink, a little too hard, causing it to shatter. I leaned against the counter, lowering my head, closing my eyes. "I should have went after her last night."

My older sister touched my shoulder faintly, giving it a light squeeze. "This is not your fault, Lip. We'll figure it out though. Let's go check on her. She can stay here for a bit."

I nodded at my sisters words. As long as she was here, she'd be safe.

We walked back into the living room to see Veronica applying a butterfly bandage to the wound under Emma's eye. "She's lucky. The cut on her lip is superficial so she won't need stitches. The one under her eye is gonna scar." Veronica looked up at us. Emma was just staring blankly at the floor. "I think she has a cracked rib or two. Can't see inside of her to know for sure how many. But ice em' and they should heal in a few weeks."

"She's gonna be okay, right?" I blurted out.

"Physically she'll heal just fine. Mentally. Who knows." V shrugged, removing her bloody gloves. She looked at Emma and then at me and Ian. "Why don't you boys go in the other room, okay?"

"Why?" I shot out defensively.

"Lip. Ian. Go." Fiona ordered, giving me the mom tone she'd mastered when she was fucking ten years old.

"No. I'm staying right here." I was pissed off and didn't want to be told what to do. I wanted to put my fist through a wall.

Ian ventured into the kitchen like an obedient dog.

"Would you get the fuck out of here so I can make sure she don't need the morning after pill." Veronica shot out like a bullet from a loaded gun. Then I realized why she would even need to ask Emma that. I didn't even think about her being raped…

"I don't." Emma answered quietly. "He didn't. Do that. He just did other stuff." She wouldn't make eye contact with anyone. Fiona knelt down on her knees in front of Emma and reached her hand out towards Emma.

"What do you mean? Other stuff." I asked, sitting down on the coffee table in front of her.

After thinking it over Emma slid her hand into Fiona's.

She refused to look at me. "I'm fine. He'll come after me. I have to go back." She was avoiding answering the question.

Veronica and Fiona shared a glance with one another. "Listen to me," Fiona squeezed her hand, "you're gonna stay here. Okay? You're safe here. This is where you're gonna stay. That's it. No arguing. I can't promise there wont be drama, but I can promise you won't be hit and you'll always have four walls and a roof over your head."

Emma finally looked up at us, her eyes landing on mine last. I found myself holding my hand out for her to take. Hesitantly she did. Her hand fit perfectly in mine. It was cold and clammy, but perfect. Tears started to pour out of her eyes as she sobbed. I squeezed her hand tightly as Fiona moved to the couch and wrapped her arms around her.

The front door banged open and Frank stumbled in, drunk off his ass. He paused, probably trying to get the room to stop swaying, he looked at us all and pointed at Emma. "Who the fuck is that? She aint one of mine…" and with that final sentence Frank fell to the floor with his next step, passing out.


	8. Chapter 8: A Brainiac, A Cripple, A Gay

**Chapter 8**

 **Emma's Point of View**

When Kyle had dragged me away from Lip's last night I knew I was in for a beating, but I never dreamed of how far Andrew would take it. My face is proof he took it too far. After Lip and Ian had brought me back to their house and Veronica cleaned up my face, she'd given me a OxyContin for the pain. It must have knocked me out because I found myself slowly waking up curled on my side still on the couch. I sat up, wincing at the pain in my ribs and looked around the living room out of my one good eye. The only light on was the one above the stove in the kitchen. My crutch was lying on the coffee table, so I grabbed it and painfully managed to stand up. I didn't make it very far before I realized there was a persons body lying on the hardwood floor.

It was an older man, Frank most likely, Lip and Ian's father. He reeked of booze and smoke. The smell alone made me queasy. Holding back my gag, I carefully maneuvered around him, when my gaze fell on a familiar sleeping form in the armchair next the couch. Lip was curled up in the chair, a blanket over his body and a pillow under his head, snoring quietly. I smiled as much as I could, feeling an odd warmth spread through my body as I thought about him keeping watch over me all night.

Looking around, I was assuming everyone else had retired to their own rooms as we were the only ones in here. It must've been either late at night or early in the morning, for how dark it was in the house and I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep. I wasn't even sure how long I had been laying on the kitchen floor but it was long enough that I was starving and had a serious case of dry mouth.

I had only made it few steps before I clutched my side, letting out a small groan of pain. However, it was enough to wake Lip from his slumber, as he immediately shot up from his sleeping position.

"What's wrong?" He slurred out, looking around the couch. "Emma?"

"Right here." I quietly called back, trying to not show how much pain I was in.

"Are you okay?" Lip asked, moving to where I was standing.

He reached out to help me, but I pulled back unconsciously, still not wanting to be touched. Every though Andrew didn't force me to sleep with him, he did enough to leave a mark, more than just a physical one. Lip looked hurt by my action but the emotion quickly left his face as took a step back from me.

"I'm fine." I said quietly, even though that wasn't true at all. "I was just thirsty and a little hungry."

"Let me help you then." Lip offered moving to the kitchen.

"Why?" I heard the question leave my mouth without my permission.

"What?" Lip turned to face me, his eyebrows furrowed together.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked again. "Why did you come looking for me?"

Lip didn't answer me, instead he kept walking into the kitchen, flicking the light on so we could see. I managed to make it to the breakfast bar and sunk down onto one of the stools, clutching my side. My ribs were gonna kill me for weeks until they healed.

"Anything in particular you might be in the mood for?" Lip asked, he had his back to me and the refrigerator door swung open. "We've got orange juice, probably spoiled milk, orange soda that might be flat."

"Orange soda would be great. Thanks." I replied, fidgeting with the sleeves to my sweater. I glanced down and saw that my white sweater had blood on it, a large amount was on my sleeve, so I pushed both of my sleeves up to my elbows so I didn't have to see the blood anymore. I tried to push what happened with Andrew out of my head as much as possible.

Lip poured some soda into a plastic cup over by the sink and then carried it over and placed it on the counter in front of me. I raised the cup to my lips, wincing when it hit the slice in my busted bottom lip. I felt the liquid burning my throat and stomach as it went all the way down. Lip was watching me, when I made eye contact with him he rubbed the back of his neck and quickly turned around, returning to the refrigerator.

"Uh, Fiona has gone to the store in a few days so we don't have much of an assortment food wise. I can run to the Burger King up the street and get you something, if you want?" Lip offered, shuttling the door to the fridge. He was being so sweet and so nice I didn't really know how to react. I felt numb, physically and emotionally.

"No. No, you don't have to go get me anything. Do you have the stuff for a PB&J?" I asked, hesitantly.

Lip checked the pantry and pulled out peanut butter and grabbed a jar of jelly from the fridge. "You're in luck." He smirked, standing on the opposite side of the breakfast bar to me. He grabbed a loaf of bread over by the coffee pot and pulled out four slices of bread and slapped them on the counter.

"Do you like a little or a lot of each?" He questioned, holding a butter knife in his hand.

"Just a little of each." I replied, watching as he made two sandwiches. One with a little peanut butter and jelly and another with loads of it. I liked having the perfect amount of peanut butter to my jelly, so one didn't put weigh the other.

"Here ya go." Lip slid the sandwich across the counter. He grabbed his sandwich and took a huge bite of it as he rounded the counter and joined me, sitting on a bar stool next to me.

I went to take a bite of the sandwich Lip had just made me and realized it hurt to much to bite into the bread, so I pinched a piece off and shoved it in my mouth, savoring the sweet and creamy flavors. I could feel Lip watching me, making me feel a little self conscious, but I was so hungry I didn't care. "When I was still with my mom when I was little we lived off PB&J. You'd think after eating it so often growing up, I'd be sick of it, but nope."

Lip nodded, giving me a small sideways smirk as he shoved the last of his sandwich in his mouth. "How are you already finished?" I found myself laughing out loud.

"I take big bites." Lip shrugged smirking while he continued to chew. His piercing blue eyes roamed over my surely already bruising face and then they fell to my exposed forearm. "Nice tattoo. I didn't take you for a girl that likes ink." I held my arm out so Lip could get a better look at the tattoo I'd gotten a little over a year ago. It was of a Nikon camera wrapped in old film and daisy's, my favorite flower. I'd gotten the tattoo because I love photography, but also as a way to hide the scars I'd given myself when I was younger.

Without asking Lip touched my arm, right where a little bit of one of the scars was still visible. I pulled my arm away slightly, still not wanting to be touched and looked away embarrassed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…" Lips voice trailed off slightly. He cleared his throat.

"It's okay." I assured him, shoving another bite in my mouth, staring at the countertop.

"How'd you get those scars?" Lip asked quietly, "Shit. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's fine." Our eyes found each other. "It was a moment of weakness when I was younger. After I found out my mom ditched me at the hospital right after my spinal surgery, I got depressed, I felt numb almost. I wasn't stupid. I knew I'd end up in the system and I knew no family would want a disabled kid. I dug a plastic fork into my arm while I was still at the hospital." I explained, remembering the moment. It wasn't my finest hour. "A nurse caught me. I've never done it since then though. It left some nasty scars so I got the tattoo to cover it up."

I didn't understand why I was sitting here in the middle of the night baring my soul to Lip. Trust wasn't something I easily felt with people, especially guys, but for some odd unknown reason I trusted Lip. They're was a weird comfortableness between us, at least on my end. I studied his face, but found it unreadable, which annoyed me. He probably thinks I'm crazy or unstable. I suddenly felt very awkward with the silence between us now.

Lip's eyes remained on my arm as he pursued his thin lips. He reached out and gently touched the scar and surprisingly I didn't flinch away this time. "So photography? That's your thing then? I mean it must be if you have a camera tattooed on your arm?" Lip asked, trying to keep the conversation going. His eyes met mine and there was a hint of a smile behind them. He didn't care about my past and not in a bad way. Lip didn't mind my scars.

I glanced at him again and nodded, smiling weakly.

"Why photography?" Lip pressed lightly, quirking an eyebrow at me.

"I just love it. I always have. There's something really wonderful about it. I think it's the closest thing to stopping time as we'll ever get. For one moment, after you snap a photo, time stops in that instance and then you have that moment, that frozen second, forever to hold in your hands." I babbled on, stuffing tiny pieces of my sandwich in my mouth and talking while I was chewing. I've never had someone be so enamored with what I was saying before, it was a wonderful feeling to actually be talking and have someone listening. Never expected it to be Lip though.

"That's cool that you know what you're good at." Lip nodded.

"What are you good at?" I asked, wanting to know more about him.

"Sex." He replied instantly.

We both busted out laughing. I laughed until my ribs started to ache and had to stop. I whimpered, clutching my side with my hand. Lip and I shared a look that lingered just a little too long. "Do you want another sandwich?" He offered and before I could even answer he was up and making two more.

I noticed Debby creeping down the stairs in the living room with a purple pillow in her hand. She made her way over to Frank and gently lifted his head and placed the pillow beneath it. Lip noticed me staring and peeked around the fridge.

"I love you daddy." Debby whispered, kissing Frank's forehead.

"Debs. Back to bed." Lip whispered into the living room.

"I'm going!" She shot back and then scurried back up the stairs.

"He always like that?" I asked Lip, wondering how often Frank got black out drunk.

"He's been that way my entire fucking life and will probably outlive us all." Lip replied sarcastically. "Comes and goes as he pleases and Fiona plays mommy and daddy, at least to Debby and Carl."

"Fiona seems really great." I smiled.

"She's okay when she's not being a bitch." Lip handed me another sandwich and retook his place beside me on his stool. "You got any other siblings?" Lip quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Not that I am aware of." I answered honestly. Who knows if I do or don't. "If I do, I hope they got a better hand than I got dealt." It'd be wrong to say I hope they had to grow up in hell, right?

"You know where your mom or dad are?" Lip pressed lightly, already almost finished his second PB&J. I think he inhaled more than he chewed.

I shook my head. I didn't know and I didn't want to know. They didn't want me or to be apart of my life, so fuck them.

"You never answered my question earlier." I looked at Lip pointedly. He seemed confused by the way he was furrowing his eyebrows together. "Why did you come looking for me?"

Lip finished chewing and stole a shot of my soda before spinning around in his barstool so his back was against the counter. He shrugged. "You weren't in class. I knew how hard you'd studied for Mr. Peters class and wouldn't have missed that test today unless something was wrong. I knew you were in trouble when Kyle dragged you out of here last night. I shouldn't have let him…it's my…fault."

Lip wouldn't look at me for a long time and when he did he looked heartbroken. "Lip, this isn't on you. It's on me. I'm the one that fucked up. I'm the one that stabbed Andrew in the hand and set off this fucked up chain of events. It's my fault that Kevin's truck is trashed. I deserved this." I pointed to my face. Tears burned the back of my eyes and my nose stung, which meant I was on the verge of getting ready to start crying. "This is all on me."

"You didn't deserve this." Lip said softly, he touched my chin with his finger so I would look at him. "Nobody deserves this, Emma. Especially not someone like you." When finally did look at Lip I felt the tears sliding down my cheeks. "Frank, hell yes. You? No."

"Thank you." I whispered, thanking him for being one of the good ones, for coming after me and for being so nice to me when he didn't owe me a damn thing.

"No need to thank me." Lip replied, his usual smirk coming on his face. "You saved me from the wrath of Karen's dad, now I saved you. Maybe it'll be our thing."

"I hope not." I chuckled slightly. "I'd rather not be in any more life or death situations. Although, we do live on the south side, so…who knows."

Lip laughed softly. "Good point. Now, let's get you back to bed. You need rest so you can get to being better. If I learned anything from Fiona, it's that sleep helps the body heal."

••••••

The sound of a crying baby and kids shrieking loudly mixed with the sound of what I could only assume was a hammer being beat into to something pulled me into the land of the conscious. I opened my eyes one at a time, feeling how sore and numb my face felt lying agains the pillow my head was resting on. I carefully pushed myself into an upright position on the couch and grimaced, feeling just how tender my ribs were. Andrew really got me good. Fucking asshole.

Running a hand through my hair and flipping it out of my face I turned my head to see Lip outside on the front porch with a hammer. He was replacing the window Kyle had thrown a brick through because of me. God, I felt awful about that. First the Gallagher's window and then Kevin's truck. It was all my fault.

"Hey, you're up! I was surprised you slept through this insanity for as long as you did." Ian called out, making me turn my head in the direction of his voice. He was carrying two cups of coffee in his hands. He sat down beside me on the couch and offered me a cup. "Thought you could use this." He gave me a small smile as I accepted the mug.

The warmth felt good on my hands, they were always cold. "Thanks, Ian. Not just for coffee either." I stared at him as I took a small sip, feeling the warm liquid go all the way down. I'd thanked Lip last night, but Ian had helped rescue me just as much.

Ian shrugged, blowing it off like what he and Lip did for me wasn't a big deal. "Don't worry about it. How're you feeling?" Ian gestures towards my face, wincing as he took in my injuries once again.

"I'm okay." I lied. I was hanging by a thread at the moment. But hey, I was still hanging. So that's something, right?

"No, you're not…" Ian called me out, smirking. "But you will be. You're running with us now. We've got your back."

I smiled and laughed a little. "Thanks."

Ian winked at me as Debby and Carl came running into the living room arguing about something. Debby's eyes lit up when she saw me. "You're still here and you're awake!" She ran over and jumped on the couch beside me, hugging me tightly.

I yelped in pain. "Debby easy!" Fiona called out, walking into the living room with a coffee in one hand and Liam on her hip. He wasn't wearing anything but a diaper and he looked very happy about that.

"Sorry." Debby mumbled, releasing me.

"It's okay." I whispered, assuring her she didn't do too much damage.

"What happened to your face?" Carl blurted out sitting down on the coffee table in front of me. "Did you get into a fight? Shank anyone?"

"You should see the other guy." I told him, staring him down over my coffee mug as I took another sip.

Carl's lip curled into a smirk as he nodded his head. He held his fist out for me to bump it. "Respect." I bumped it and half laughed. These kids were all unique and had completely opposite personalities.

"How'd you sleep?" Fiona asked, sitting down in the arm chair by the window, the same one Lip had slept in all night. His pillow and blanket were still balled up on the seat.

"Actually, better than I have in a while." I replied. I wasn't lying about that. The couch was a thousand times more comfortable than my bed at Andrews and I didn't have to sleep with one eye open. Plus, I felt comfortable knowing that Lip was close by and that the rest of the Gallagher's were all here as well.

Their house wasn't cold or disinviting at all. It was messy and lived in. It felt like a home, even if it wasn't mine. I know Fiona had offered to let me stay here last night, but I wasn't sure if she meant it, so I was trying like hell not to get too comfortable.

Lip came in the front door, letting it slam shut behind him and went over to the window. He smacked it a few times and then turned around unzipping his coat. "Windows fixed."

"Bob the Builder everybody." Ian clapped his hands, giving Lip a hard time. "Second window today. First Karen's now ours. Kash is gonna want his tools back too, man."

"Fuck off." Lip flipped him the finger as he lit a cigarette.

Lips eyes landed on me and he gave me a half smile around the cigarette dangling from his lips. He plopped down on the couch beside Debby and I. Debby climbed onto her big brothers lap, making him hold her. She rested her head against his chest and stared at me.

"Do you wanna watch Finding Nemo? It always makes me feel better when I don't feel good. So I thought it might help you too, with your face and all." Debby offered sweetly. She was still in her pajamas and purple night robe, her hair was pulled back into an incredibly messy ponytail.

"I would love that." I told her honestly.

"I'll go get the DVD!" Debby hopped off Lip's lap and scurried upstairs.

"I think she likes having another girl in the house. Evens out the testosterone and dumbass in the house a little more." Fiona laughed, looking pointedly at Lip and Ian and Carl.

"She's great. You all are great." I said, leaning back on the couch a little. "I am really sorry about the window. I'll pay you back when I get paid on Friday."

"Today's Saturday." Lip butted in, passing his cigarette to Fiona. "Don't worry about it though. I got a free one from the abandoned house two streets over. Same size. We're good."

"Meaning you stole it?" Fiona arched an eyebrow at her little brother.

"Not like anyone else was using it." Lip countered back.

Fiona rolled her eyes and took a drag off her cigarette and then passed it back to Lip. "Don't worry about the window. That thing has been broken so many times by Frank trying to get in when he's lit and we lock him out."

I glanced over to where Frank had been lying passed out drunk on the floor to see that he was still lying there, out cold. That couldn't be good at all. "Are you sure he's still breathing? I feel like we should poke him with a stick or something to check."

"We're not that lucky." Fiona scoffed. "He's fine. Trust me."

"I'll take your word for it." I half laughed. Debby came running back down the stairs with a DVD in her hands and put it in the DVD player. Carl groaned and rolled his eyes before disappearing into the kitchen. I'm guessing he's not a fan of Finding Nemo.

"Debs, Emma might not wanna watch that shit." Lip pointed out.

I gave him a faux shocked expression. "I have no problems admitting my love for that little clown fish with the jacked up fin."

"She will legit make you watch that a thousand times." Lip replied, holding back a laugh. I smirked and shrugged not minding a bit. Debby squeezes herself back on the couch between Lip and myself as the movie started to play.

There was a light knock at the back door and then it swung open. "Hey! Hey! Gallagher's." Veronica strutted in with her medical bag over her shoulder. Her boyfriend Kevin was following behind her. I involuntarily tensed at his presence. I wondered how pissed he was about his truck. I mean he had to be fucking pissed, but was he the type of guy to take his anger out using his words or his fists?

Veronica and Kevin were in the kitchen, grabbing breakfast probably. "Hey, Lip, what the hell kinda girls you hanging around? My truck is totally fucked up. That little mini blonde Barbie doll owes me a new headlight!" He mumbled coming around the corner with food in his mouth. Our eyes locked on one another and I felt my stomach tighten and twist into a knot.

My fight or flight instincts were battling with each other inside right now.

Kevin had a piece of toast dangling out of his mouth and a handful of bacon. "Oh, shit." He said, the piece of toast falling out of his mouth and hitting Frank. Frank groaned, but remained in his drunken slumber. "Your face? What the hell happened to you?" Kevin stepped over Frank, carefully trying not to step directly on him.

"Kev, I told you." Veronica smacked him on the arm as she passed him. She sat down in front of me on the coffee table. "How you feeling today, sweetie?" Veronica asked me, checking my injured face.

"I'm okay. A little sore." I assured her, even though I was still in a pretty good amount of pain. I looked up at Kevin and hid my shaking hands under my legs. "I am so sorry about your truck! I will pay to have it fixed. I don't make that much at the bookstore so I could give you payments?" I offered, staring up at him wide eyed. Kevin was two times my size and twice as tall as me. He could snap me in two if he wanted to do so.

"I kinda feel like you already did pay for it." He pointed to my face, crunching on a piece of bacon. "Actually, I feel like I owe you money. Fuck. Your foster dad did that to you?"

"Father of year." I said with distaste.

"Hey, he could be in the running with Frank." Ian laughed out, tossing pieces of ripped up paper at Frank lying on the floor. Franks mouth was wide open, giving Ian something to aim for.

"Seriously, I never meant to drag any of you into my mess." I looked around the room at Fiona, Lip, Ian and Kevin and V. "It's my fault. I will pay to fix what Kyle wrecked."

Veronica placed her hand on my knee that I had been bouncing nervously. "It's okay. That truck is a piece of shit anyway."

"That truck has been with me for years." Kevin talked with a mouthful of food. Veronica shot him a dirty look, warning him not to speak. "Yeah, no, total piece of shit." He agreed with her.

"Why don't we head upstairs and see if there's something of mine you can wear? Get you out of that bloody sweater and into something warmer." Fiona offered, standing up. I nodded my head, getting to my feet slowly. Veronica wrapped her arm around my waist and gave me a warm smile.

"Thank you." I mouthed as she helped me up the stairs.

Fiona led us into what I assumed was her room. It was small with her queen size bed taking up most of the room. There was a dresser along the far wall at the end of the bed by the window and a vanity along another wall. Veronica helped me sit down on the unmade bed.

"Let's take a look at your face." Veronica said, opening her medical bag up. She changed the bandage on the cut under my eye gently. "I know yesterday the boys were around in macho protective mode so we didn't get to talk much about what happened, but if you were… if he raped you." Veronica started off in a low voice.

Flashes of what happened with Andrew filled my mind. He'd been waiting when Kyle drug me in the house. He was drunk. His breath was well over the legal alcohol limit. I remembered him making me change into pajamas and kneel on rice for probably three hours before he even threw the first punch. Things got hazier after that. I'd been on the kitchen floor crying when climbed on top of me. I was weak on a good day, but after being roughed up I was even weaker and tired so when he climbed on top of me and yanked my shorts down.

"He didn't. I mean he… he tried to do it, but he couldn't. He was so wasted he couldn't even get it up. So nothing happened." I answered, staring blankly at the cross hanging on Fiona's wall. They didn't peg me to be the religious type. It must have come with the house.

"It's still sexual assault." Fiona looked at me. "Are you sure you don't wanna go to the hospital and report what happened. Get your caseworker involved?"

I scoffed and wiped the tears falling down my cheeks. I looked up at Fiona. "No one would give a shit. My caseworker at CFS is as bad as Andrew. She doesn't give a fuck. Trust me. They have an arrangement. She looks the other way for a small cut in our monthly checks and Andrew can do whatever he wants."

Fiona nodded her head slowly, understanding. She handed me a pair of jeans and a light grey hoodie with stars on the sleeves. "These might fit you." She smiled, tucking her brown hair behind her ears.

I nodded a thanks. "Listen, I appreciate you letting me stay here. You guys have all been so nice to me." My voice cracked. "I I I won't stay long."

Fiona knelt down in front of me. "No. I meant what I said. You're staying here. You're not going back to that house or god forbid somewhere worse. You can crash with me in here as long as you don't mind sharing a bed."

"Really?"

Fiona smiled brightly, tears brimming her own eyes. She nodded her head. "We ain't got much, but it's home. It can be your home too. If you want."

"Kev and I would let you crash with us, but we're tight on space right now until we get the spare room organized." Veronica offered, resting her hand on my shoulder gently.

"All I ask if you stay here is that you help out. And by that just pitch in wherever you can. We all try to do our part to keep this place from burning down." Fiona half laughed, sighing. She was so beautiful it amazed me. Her eyes were sincere, something I wasn't used to at all. Her smile was contagious.

"I'd really like to stay." I found myself speaking without thinking.

I hardly knew these people and they were offering me a place to sleep and a roof over my head. They were nicer to me than any family ever was in the system.

"Then it's settled." Fiona grinned along with Veronica.

"You're gonna be okay." Veronica whispered, squeezing my shoulder before getting up. "We'll get out and let you change."

The girls headed out of the room, shutting the door behind them. I never imagined this is where I'd be at the end of this week. Putting on Phillip Gallagher's sisters clothes and living in his house. What if he didn't want me here? This had to be awkward for him. It was a little awkward for me, but also nice at the same time.

 **Lip's Point of View**

Fiona, Veronica and Emma came walking back down the stairs, single file. Emma was wearing some of Fiona's old clothes, they looked better on her than the bloody sweater she'd been wearing. "So, we'll need to get your stuff from your foster house." Fiona said, looking at Emma over her shoulder as they finished coming down the stairs.

"It's not a lot. I can wait until Andrews working and just grab it." Emma explained. I couldn't imagine her ever stepping foot back in that house and I wasn't gonna let her either.

"We'll go get it." I offered, getting off the couch and walking around it to meet Emma at the end of the steps.

"Kevin will take you." Veronica stated.

"Kevin will not. Don't be offering up my services V." Kevin shot out. Veronica placed her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows at him. "Fine, what the hell." Kevin conceded. It was hilarious how pussy whipped he was.

"I'll go with you." Emma offered again. "It's my stuff."

"No. You stay here and rest. Hang out with Debby. We'll get your stuff." Ian jumped in. He grabbed his coat from the front mud room and tossed me mine.

"You shouldn't have to go back there." I explained. Emma looked at me uneasily but finally nodded her head. She grabbed my lower arm and made me follow her into the kitchen.

"What's up?" My brows furrowed together, confused. Something was wrong I just didn't know exactly what yet. I had a feeling I was gonna find out.

"Are you sure you're cool with me staying here? I mean last week we didn't even know each other and now I'm moving into your house." Emma babbled, her words coming out a mile a minute. It was actually really cute the way she was so worked up about whether or not I wanted her here.

I rubbed the back of my neck and scratched my forehead with my thumb, buying myself some time. I mean it wasn't how I expected my week to end, but I didn't mind her being here. "It's cool. Honestly. A little weird, but we can make it work. It beats the alternative; you know?"

"Yeah. I just…I don't wanna get comfortable here if it's going to be a problem or upset anyone." She went on.

"I'm gonna go get your stuff." I smirked at her. I was about to turn away when I felt her hand touch mine, causing me to turn back around and look at her.

"Be careful." Emma said, then immediately let go of my hand.

I nodded, letting her know I'd be fine. Emma followed me back into the living room and sat down next to Debby on the couch, who was enthralled in Finding Nemo.

"Hey, Debs. Keep an eye on Emma. Make sure she rests. Help her out, okay?" I kissed Debby on the top of the head.

"You've got it!" Debby called back as I made my way outside where Kev and Ian were waiting.

••••••••••

Kevin had just pulled his truck up in front of Emma's foster home. Ian and I got out, trying to shake off the cold. The place looked quiet, but there was no telling what was lurking behind the front door.

"Well this should be quick and easy." Kevin said, making me look at him.

"Jesus, her shit's in the yard." Ian pointed to the slew of clothes and shit strewn about the front yard in the snow.

Me being here right now was like waiting for a bomb to go off.

"Let's just get her stuff before anyone notices we're here and I end up doing something stupid." I instructed, pulling a cardboard box out of the bed of Kevin's truck.

Truth is, I wanted to get out of here before my anger took over and I busted in that house to beat the shit out of Emma's piece of shit foster father like he had done to her. No one deserved to be treated like that, least of all her. Trying to push back my anger, I began picking up her clothes and tossing them into the box. Kevin and Ian were doing the same on the other side of the yard, all of us trying to go as fast we could.

"How did I end up being the one to pick up all her underwear?" I heard Kevin groan out.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw Kevin standing around a pile of clothes, all of which were Emma's underwear and bras. Ian laughed out loud, clutching his stomach as he almost fell over at the look on Kevin's face. Chuckling as well, I made my way over to the pile shoving Kev in the shoulder.

"Awe, what's the matter, Kev?" I asked, smirking. "Scared of a few thongs?"

"It's not the thongs, it's just weird. I don't know why, okay." Kevin said, looking over at me. "You do it!"

"Move over." I told him, pushing him out of the way. "I'll do this, you can get all her school shit together."

Nodding, Kevin happily moved away from Emma's pile of underwear and headed to the pile that I was about to start working on. Carefully, I began to move it all into the box, trying to grab her stuff and not snow, trying to keep all dirty thoughts out of my mind. However, every time I picked up a new pair of lace underwear, a flash of what Emma looked like in them entered my head. I had no idea where these thoughts were coming from but they were starting to become a problem as my pants were starting to feel tight. Fuck.

Clearing my throat, I looked around the yard, trying to find anything else to occupy my mind when my gaze fell upon what looked to be a vintage camera, smashed, a few feet away. Turning my head slightly, I furrowed my eyebrows as I made my way over to it. Picking it up, I saw that it must've been smashed when it was tossed from the window. I tossed it in the box under my arm anyway, hoping maybe it could be fixed. Emma didn't have that much stuff and these assholes were determined to destroy it.

I could feel my anger rising again, and I willed myself to calm down. Pulling out a cigarette, I hoped it would take some of the edge off. I sat the box under my arm down in the snow when I reached a pile of photographs and notebooks. I knelt down flipping the photographs over and smirked at them. They were really good black and white shots from all over Chicago. My favorite was a shot of the Cloud Gate at Millennium Park. They called it the Cloud Gate because the metal reflects the sky mostly. I just thought it looked like a fucking bean. I placed the pile of photos in the box and grabbed the journals too.

"I think we got it all." Ian said, walking up behind me. I grabbed my box and scanned the yard nodding my head. Kevin was loading his box in the bed of his truck.

I handed my box to Ian and watched him carry it to the truck. I flicked my cigarette off to the side and spotted a small purple notebook under a snow covered bush by the porch. I grabbed it just as the front door swung open.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Andrew stumbled out onto the front porch as Kevin and Ian joined me in the yard.

"Getting Emma's shit." I informed him, feeling my blood beginning to boil at the sight of this piece of shit. "You think beating up a girl makes you a fucking man?" I shot my mouth off, feeling my feet moving me towards the porch.

Ian got in front of me and shoved me back. "Come on. Let's go."

"You tell that little bitch I better not see her fucking face, what's left of it." Andrew baited me and I took it, I pushed Ian trying to get at him, but I felt Kevin yanking me back by the back of my coat.

"In the truck. Both of you." Kevin pushed Ian and I towards his truck. I gripped the journal in my hand tightly.

"Yeah. Get the fuck of my property." Andrew yelled, causing the neighbors dog to start barking.

"Shut the fuck up and go back inside! We're leaving!" Kevin yelled back. Ian and I climbed in the truck and watched Kevin walk around to the driver side and climb in.

Kevin took off from the curb, speeding down the road away from the all but falling down house. Our place wasn't the Ritz but it was better than that shit hole and that's saying something because our house ain't anything special. We were all silent on the ride home. I stared down at the journal in my hand and the broken lock on it. There were pieces of paper sticking out of it, I yanked on one and pulled it out, wondering what it was. I knew I shouldn't be going through Emma's shit, but I'd just touched her underwear, I kinda didn't think it mattered now.

The piece of paper I pulled out was old, the writing on it was messy and choppy, it looked like a nine year old wrote it maybe. It was a journal entry from a few years ago.

Today's my eleventh birthday. My caseworker Wendy asked me what I wanted for my special day and all I could think was, "What's so special about it? What's so special about me?" The answer is nothing. I'm not anything, but if I could have one birthday wish it would be for one mom and one dad since the ones I have don't want me. Maybe there's two kind people out there who might. Who knows. I guess it doesn't even have to be both, it could just be a mom OR a dad. Just a family. Something. Someone.

I'm smart enough to know that wish won't come true, so I guess I'll just wish for an actual birthday cake…

•••••••••••

Kevin dropped us back off at the house and helped us carry in Emma's stuff. She only had enough stuff to fill three little boxes and two of those were her clothes. I had just carried the last one upstairs and set it on top of the others in the hallway. I could tell Emma was pissed her stuff had been destroyed but she tried not to let it show. The biggest reaction she had was finding out her camera had been smashed. I felt bad for her and decided then I'd try and fix it somehow.

Emma was on her second round of Finding Nemo with Debby.

I grabbed Kash's tool box from the kitchen table and headed into the living room. I don't know why Ian couldn't have just taken the damn thing to work with him when we left earlier. He made Kevin drop him off at work on our way back here. He did it just to be a fucking pain in my ass.

"You feel up for a walk?" I asked Emma. "I've got to return these tools to Ian's boss. If you wanna tag along."

Emma was curled up on the couch with Debby, blanket draped over their legs. "Yeah, sure, can we stop by my work so I can pick up my check?"

I nodded. "We'll be back in an hour or so, Debs." I patted her head, but she was so focused on the television she didn't even respond.

Emma and I headed out into the cold air and started walking towards the bookstore she worked at. I didn't tell her I read her journal. I knew it was an invasion of her privacy, but I hated that she had to go through what she'd gone through. My mom Monica might not of been around and Frank, well he's an asshole; Fiona always made us feel wanted and we were always a family, even as fucked up as we are.

"So what's the deal with the camera?" I asked, breaking the comfortable silence that fell over us as we'd been walking.

"It's a 35mm Pin Hole camera. I found it at a yard sale a few years ago and fell in love with it. It takes awesome photos, well it did." Emma explained, looking over at me as we walked.

"Maybe I can fix it. I'm pretty good with my hands." I offered, smirking.

"You can give it a shot." She smiled.

We made it to Sandmeyer's Bookstore and I waited outside while Emma went in and grabbed her check. From there we headed to the Kash N Grab where Ian worked. It was a little convenient store in our small neighborhood that got most of the business on Main Street. It was owned by Muslims like everything else on the block. Kash was good people though I guess.

"So this is where Ian works?" Emma wondered aloud as we approached the door. I went to open it but it was locked.

"Yeah, he's worked here for a while. Shit pay, but it's something to help with the bills. How much you make huffing books?" I asked, knocking on the door. "Yo, Kash, open up." I knocked again.

"Around $150 a week, part time. It's a mom and pop type business." Emma replied.

I gently touched her arm so she'd follow me. We'll go in the back." She followed after me as we walked around the building, cutting through the small alleyway beside it. The back door was unlocked so we walked in and through the back store room until we reached the front of the store.

"Kash, I brought your tools back." I called out while Emma picked up a bag of Sour Patch kids and a S'mores candy bar.

"Maybe he's not here. Hence the locked door." She tossed out there dropping a $5 bill on the counter at the register.

"Ian just got Kevin to drop him off here. Yo, Kash!" I yelled again. Emma nodded for me to look behind her.

Kash and Ian were now behind us restocking food in the cold section. "Oh hey, Lip." Kash smiled. Ian nodded at me and continued to shove butter on the shelf.

"I brought your tools. Thanks for letting me borrow them."

"Anytime, as long as I get them back." Kash smirked, he seemed nervous, dropping a yogurt in his hand. When he bent down to pick it up I noticed he was wearing two different shoes. One white sneaker and one brown. My eyes flitted over to Ian's feet. He was wearing one brown and one white as well. How the fuck does that happen?

Unless…

"Jesus! You're fucking him?" I shot out, dropping the tool box onto the floor.

Emma was standing beside me now, shocked, half a candy bar in her mouth. Without thinking I grabbed her free hand and tugged her along with me out of the fucking store. I could hear her crutch hitting the tile floor as we went. I shoved past Ian and Kash and stormed back out into the cold evening air.

"Ian and that guy?" Emma blurted out as soon as we were outside.

"It's fucking ridiculous!" I yelled, squeezing her hand in mine. Then I realized we were holding hands and let go. Missing the contact of her hand in mine the moment I let go. "I gotta get the fuck out of here." I said, "I'll see you back at the house." I tossed the words hastily over my shoulder as I took off.

••••••••

I'd gone for a walk to clear my head, but the longer I walked the more pissed off I got about Ian and fucking Kash. How could he be so fucking stupid? Kash was married with kids. He was old. What the hell was he thinking fucking that guy?

I'd continued to stew all evening, locking myself in our room. There was a light knock at the door and then Emma walked in. "Uh, is it okay if I sleep in here? Fiona and Steve are going at it in her room. They were downstairs partying with your dad and Kev and Veronica."

"Yeah, come in." I answered. Emma walked in and closed the door. She looked up at me sitting on my bunk bed smoking a joint. I handed it to her and watched as she took a hit of it. "You're such a rookie." I laughed as she coughed a little holding the joint back out to me.

"Fuck you." She laughed. "How are you doing?"

"You mean since I found out my little brother is butt buddies with his boss? I'm grand." I shot out sarcastically. Sarcasm was my only defense an I used it for everything.

"You know there's nothing you can do about it, right? It's who he is. It doesn't change the fact that he's your brother." Emma told me, her voice was quiet and calm and incredibly soothing for some reason.

"He's my little brother. I just…I wanna protect him."

"He's still your little brother even though he's gay. He's still gonna need you."

"I just can't wrap my mind around it." I spat out, inhaling from the joint in my hand. "He lies about it all and then expects me not to be shocked." My head was already buzzing from the weed and everything going on with Ian. How could he not trust me?

The bedroom door opened and Ian waltzed in, taking his coat off and tossing it on the floor. He sat down on his bed and started to take his boots off, then looked up at me.

"He bought them for you, didn't he? Those shoes. He's married! With kids! What else does he buy you, Ian?" I hissed at my younger brother. Emma crossed her arms over her chest and glanced at Carl who was already passed out with headphones on in his bed.

"Stuff. Now and again." Ian answered after a moment.

"And you're happy with that? What's that make you, huh?" I hopped down off the top bunk and stared at Ian. I wanted to hurt him. I was pissed at him and I didn't even fully understand why. "A fucking kept boy at best."

Ian lunged at me unexpectedly, grabbing me by the collar to my shirt. He slammed me against the bed post. I shoved him away, only for him to pin me again." Listen to me, stupid!"

"Stop it! Come on!" Emma hissed, trying to pull Ian off of me. Ian ignored her and grabbed my throat.

"You think you know everything, but you know shit! Ask me what I've got him, huh? Ask me! CD's, dozens of CDs!" Ian ranted, pissing me off even more. He tightened his grip on my neck so I put some muscle into him and rammed him back against his bed, causing us both to fall on it. Ian was back on me in an instant, grabbing me by the shirt.

"Jesus christ! Stop!" Emma hissed again, trying to calm us down.

"Stuff that he's never heard of, stuff I think he might like, 'cause I want him to like the same things that I do. And a couple Sox tickets for his what's that make you, Lip, huh? It makes you wrong, you fucking smart asshole! Now go back to Kash and promise him that you're not gonna tell anybody 'cause he's done nothing to be sorry for, nothing." Ian slammed me hard against his dresser before turning on Emma. "You have to promise not to say anything!"

"I won't. I promise. Calm down." She assured him.

"Fake Muslim cheats on white fundamentalist wife with gutless gay boy." I shot out with a Muslim accent, panting. I grabbed my smokes off the top bunk and turned around to face off with Ian again. "Says more about White Sox fans than it does for the rest of us." Ian tried to punch me in the stomach but I dodged it and ran out of the bedroom.

 **Emma's Point of View**

I'd ended up crashing in Lip's bed again. It was becoming a habit now. I wasn't sure when he came to bed, but he was lying next to me now, lightly snoring. His arm was draped over my stomach. I glanced around the dark room. It was early in the morning, I could tell by the light shining through the blinds. I sat up partially and looked at Ian's empty bed. He'd stormed out of the room after Lip confronted him last night and never came back. Carl was sprawled out on his stomach with headphones over his ears.

Slowly and carefully I got out from under Lip's arm. My stomach fluttered feeling his arm against me and I wasn't sure why. It was weird and nothing I'd ever felt before. I climbed down off the bunk and slipped on the old pair off UGG's I'd found in a dumpster behind Payless.

I headed downstairs, noticing no one else was up. Debby was watching television in the living room.

"Morning." She chirped, looking at me over the back of the couch as I hobbled down the stairs with my crutch.

"Good morning. Early riser?"

"Always have been. I like having some me time." Debby explained, wiping sleep from her eyes.

"Have you seen Ian?" I questioned aloud. I was worried about him. Lip was kind of harsh on him. Although I could see both points of view. Lip was just trying to make sense of Ian's sexuality but then again Ian was trying to make sense of it too. I didn't know which was worse.

"Backyard." Debby answered, then returned to her cartoons.

I headed into the kitchen and noticed Frank lying passed out on floor. I paused tapping him with my foot. He groaned and rolled on his side. "Just checking." I whispered to myself, then slipped out the back door.

It was freezing out, but instead of turning back for a coat I ended up trudging forward towards the old style van parked in the back yard. Ian was sitting in the drivers seat so I knocked on the passenger window. Ian removed his headphones as I waved. He reached over and unlocked the door, pushing the door open.

"Can I join you?" I asked.

Ian nodded, so I climbed in and shut the door.

"Are you okay?" I pressed, rubbing my hands together trying to get them warm.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just wishing everyone else would be fine too." Ian spoke, glaring back at the house. "He fucking wonders why I've kept it a secret. This is why."

"I can't imagine what you're going through, Ian. It must be hard to have to keep who you are hidden for so long. But you know something? You don't have to hide it. Lip's gonna have to get over his own insecurities and just deal with it. I think he will, too, it'll just take some time, maybe." I offered. I wasn't sure if my View Point would make Ian feel any better but I at least owed it to him to try and help. "For what it's worth, I don't care that you're gay. I don't care that you're screwing your boss. You're still Ian."

Ian smirked and nodded his head then looked at me. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"I just wanted you to know that I won't tell anyone. I'm good at keeping secrets. Pretty Little Liars trained me for this." I smirked at him, touching his shoulder.

"Pretty Little Liars?" Ian repeated.

"My guilty please television show." I laughed out.

There was a knock on my window which made me jump. Lip was staring back at me. I opened the door and scooted over into the middle of the bench seat so Lip could climb in too, which he did.

He had that fucking folder that had Ian's porn in it in his hand. He opened it up and showed it to Ian. "How can that be good for you? Or that? Or that?" He said, flipping through pages.

Ian reached across me and grabbed the folder and flung it in the back seat. "Yeah. You know what's not funny, huh?"

"Huh?" Lip stared at Ian.

"You. Ever." Ian shot back at him, shaking his head.

"I agree." I smiled, pointing at Lip. He knocked my hand down, rolling his eyes.

"Anybody before Kash?" Lip asked, turning in his seat to look over at Ian. He grabbed the cigarette Ian had just put between his lips and lit it for himself.

Ian debated opening open but finally spoke. "One."

"Yeah? Who?" Lip was interested now. I stared at him trying to gauge where he was going with all this and from the look on his face I could tell he was finally trying to maybe understand a little bit.

That was progress.

"I'm not telling you, all right?" Ian shot out.

"Name a single time I've let you down." Lip said, pointing his cigarette at Ian.

"It was a kid at school." Ian finally confessed.

"Come on, we need details here!" I joined in.

"All right, I guess it doesn't really matter 'cause, I mean, he's long gone now anyways, but, uh... Roger Spikey."

"Roger Spikey?" Lip and I said in unison, not hiding our shock or surprise either.

"Fucking donkey dick Roger Spikey?" Lip laughed out, trying to get some clarification here on this.

"The original beefmeister? Or did he start that rumor?" I asked, trying not to laugh. I remembered Roger. He was so obnoxious, but girls loved him. Makes sense now that I know he's gay why he never went after any of them.

"Not a rumor." Ian raised his eyebrows and smirked at me.

"Whoa!" I busted out laughing then and couldn't stop. I laughed so hard I lifted my legs up and put them on the dash, clapping my hands, leaning into Lip, who was also laughing.

"That was a bit you just did there with your eyebrows. You want to watch that." Lip pointed out, laughing and letting me crack up beside him.

"Fuck off, all right? Both of you!" Ian laughed out, hitting me in the shoulder.

"I'm sorry! That's so funny. My ribs hurt from laughing." I clutched my side and sat up finally able to catch a breath.

"But seriously, like... like up the ass? Do you get used to that? Can someone get used to that? I mean... I mean, the whole point of the digestive system is one-way traffic. It just is." Lip said, taking a hit from his cigarette, furrowing his eyebrows together. I wondered what he was picturing in his head at the moment.

Ian suddenly started laughing, leaning his head into the window. "Just is." Like, like, we're only given our lungs to freakin' smoke, right?"

Lip and I laughed along with him for what felt like forever. Once we quieted down I looked at these two guys sitting beside me and couldn't help but smile.

"Fuck." I mumbled.

"What?" Lip laughed out.

"I'm pretty sure this is the moment in the cheesy teen flick where the three idiots become best friends. I think we just became friends." I scrunched up my nose and Ian and Lip laughed.

"We're like a bad fucking joke." Ian grinned.

"A brainiac, a cripple and a gay walk into a bar!" I laughed out.

"This is what I'm stuck with." Lip chuckled, opening his door. He flicked his cigarette out and then got out.

I scooted over as Ian got out on his side.

"I don't wanna walk back to the house." I groaned.

"Hop on." Lip turned around, offering to give me a piggy back ride.

"Seriously?" I laughed. "I'm never one to turn down a free ride."

"I'm not even gonna touch that." Lip laughed, as I got onto his back. I smacked him in the chest with my free hand and held my crutch in the other.

"You better not drop me Gallagher!" I shot out, serious as could be.

"Oh you mean like this!" Lip acted like he was gonna drop me and let go of my legs for a second only to grab them a second later. He trudged around the van and did it again.

"I hate you!" I laughed, wrapping my free arm around his neck, burying my face next to his. I couldn't help but notice how good he smelled. Cigarette smoke never smelled so amazing. It was mixed with a hint of beer too.

"Perfect target!" Ian called out. I looked up just in time to get smacked in the face with a snowball.

Ian threw a few more and Lip ran to dodge them. We were both laughing and cursing Ian the entire time. I realized then that I hadn't been this happy in a long time. For a moment I thought maybe everything could end up okay for once.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait on the new chapter. I've been struggling with my depression and we had a death in the family recently as well. More coming soon!


	9. Chapter 9: Be A Girl

Chapter 9

Lip's Point of View

It was another snowy day in Chicago. The temperature was well below freezing and the streets were becoming covered with white powder as it fell from the sky. I was glad Emma and I made it to Stella's Diner after school was let out early before it really came falling down.

"Here you two go. Can I get you anything else?" The waitress said as she sat down two Simple Chocolate Shakes in front of Emma and I.

We'd been here for a few hours studying for Mr. Peters next test this week.

I scratched my head with my pen and smiled. "No. We're good. Thanks." The waitress smiled and then walked off.

Emma dove into her milkshake, glad to take a break from Physics for the time being.

I put my pen down and closed my notebook, glancing at Emma slurping down her milkshake through a straw. Emma's been with us for about two weeks now. Her face had begun to heal from where her shitty foster father roughed her up, turning her cheeks various shades of deep purple and yellow.

"Shit." Emma hissed, making me look at her like she had six snakes coming out of her head. "Shit. Shit. Shit." She slumped down in the booth across from me and held up her menu to block her face.

I peeked around it and gave her a look. "What is wrong with you."

"Finn Matthews just walked in." She whispered back at me. Am I supposed to care about that? Why does she even care?

I glanced over my shoulder to see our high schools basketball team's very own shooting guard. He was with a few other douchebags from the team. They stood at the counter, placing their order. "So?"

"I don't want him to see me like this. Okay?" She pointed to the fading bruises on her face. "I was supposed to take photos of him playing basketball for the year book, but I've been blowing him off."

"You like him, don't you?" I laughed. "Jesus. That tool?"

"No!" Emma's voice rose an octave as her cheeks blushed red. "I don't like him. Besides, even if I did he'd never go for the cripple chick."

"You really think guys don't like you because of your crutch?" I half laughed. "Newsflash, you've got an ass and boobs. Guys like you, trust me. I'll prove it." I smirked and turned around in my booth, I through my hand up. "Hey, Finn! What's up, man!" I called out, then glanced back at Emma.

Her eyes were as wide as saucers. She kicked me under the table, hard. "What are you doing?"

Finna looked over his shoulder at me and gave me the bro nod. Fucking douche. I hated this kid just for the simple fact that he was a jock. I honestly didn't see why girls fawned all over him.

"What's up, Gallagher." He called out, walking towards our booth. His buddies stayed at the counter, waiting for their food.

Finn approached the table and Emma held her menu up to hide her face. Not being discreet at all.

"Good game on Friday." I said, not knowing if they won or lost and not caring.

"Thanks, man." He smirked.

"You know Emma, right?" I coughed, kicking her foot under the table.

Finn glanced at Emma and put his index finger on her menu, pushing it down. He shot her a smirk that makes all the girls drool. "How's it going, Em's? We ever gonna get those photos done?"

Emma lowered the menu and smiled, clearly nervous. She tucked some loose hair behind her ear and nodded. "How's tomorrow during your practice?"

"Works for me." He winked at her. "You know, I'm glad I ran into you here. We should grab dinner sometime. If you're up for it?"

When I called Finn over I wasn't expecting him to fucking ask her out.

"S-sure. That would be nice." Emma smiled, brightly. She really liked this guy.

Finn grinned, showing his perfectly straight bought and paid for smile. "Cool. We'll set it up tomorrow then." His fingers drummed against the table before he walked off to rejoin his posse.

Emma sat across from me frozen, paralyzed by what just happened. Finn and his friends walked out of the diner with their food and past our window. He gave Emma a big goofy grin along the way and she waved then covered her face with her hands, regretting it.

"Why did I wave?" She mumbled into her hands.

I chuckled, resuming eating my milkshake.

Her hands fell and she was smiling biting her bottom lip. It was kinda cute. "That did not just happen? Did that just really fucking happen? He really asked me out?"

"It would appear so." I replied dryly, looking at my notebook again.

"Okay, I don't have girlfriends, so you need to be a girl for me right now because I'm freaking the fuck out." She looked like a ball of live energy staring back at me. It was the happiest I've seen her since I met her.

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen." I shook my head. I didn't really see why Finn was so appealing, that would be more in Ian's wheelhouse.

"That was weird, right? I mean, really fucking weird. Why would he ask me out, out of the blue like that?" Emma sighed and opened her textbook back up and her notebook. "It doesn't matter anyway."

"Why's that?" I asked, curious as to why her Happy bubble was slowly losing air. "Aren't you gonna go?"

"Uh, no." She laughed. "I've never been on a date, Lip. I don't know what to do! I don't know what's the right thing or the wrong thing. I'm embarrassed even thinking about going."

"You need to go and get laid. Maybe it'll relax you." That comment landed me a pen to the head. Emma certainly wasn't the kinda girl that would fuck on the first date, even I could see that.

"Fuck you." She flipped me the finger playfully.

"Come on," I laughed, "we should head home."

We gathered our books and tossed them in our bags and headed outside into the cold. Snow whipped against our faces as the wind lashed at our cheeks.

"You realize a date is no different than what we're doing right now, right?" I pointed out. "We were sitting in a diner together, eating food, joking around. Same thing as a date."

Only this was most definitely not a date.

"It's totally different, Lip. I don't know what a guy wants. When do you hold hands? Is that even a thing on dates?" Her voice rose slightly, telling me she was really panicking over this potential date with Finn. "It's not like I've had the best experience with guys either. How do I know what's right or wrong or if things are going good?"

We walked down the sidewalk silently together for a bit. I leaned in and let my shoulder brush against hers lightly. She glanced at me, but didn't say anything, instead she started chewing on her fingernail. Our hands were dangling close to one another as we walked, I slipped my hand around hers, making her flinch.

"Unexpected touching. That's how you know it's going good. If he brushes against your hand or," I reached up and tucked some of the hair that had fallen out of her braid behind her ear, "if he tucks your hair behind your ear. Really if he does anything to touch you, that's a good sign. We crave that shit."

I shoved my hand back in my pocket as we kept walking.

"What else?" Emma encouraged me. "This is perfect intel. Give me more tips."

I couldn't believe I was even talking about this shit right now.

"Make him laugh, but also laugh at his jokes even if he's not funny, which we both know Finn isn't funny. Make a lot of eye contact. Touch his arms. Draw attention to your lips. Guys eat that shit up."

"Finn is funny." Emma defended him.

"He's a jock. He's not funny, trust me." I pointed out.

Emma laughed and shook her head, bumping into my arm as she tried to walk around a pile of snow on the sidewalk. Our hands brushed against each other again, this time unintentionally, my pinky touching hers. I couldn't get over how soft her skin felt. She slipped her hand into her coat pocket, unaware of the spark she'd sent up my arm mere moments ago.

The whole incident confused the fuck out of me. I've only ever had that happen with Karen. It was happening a lot now with Emma.

"Uh, you good making it home? I'm gonna head over to Karen's for a study session." I said scratching my head.

Snowflakes were landing in Emma's hair. I fought the urge to brush them off her coat. She nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. I'll tell Fiona you'll be home later."

"Thanks." I patted her shoulder before taking off in a run across the street to cut through to get to Karen's house.

•••••

Panting from running laps in gym class I followed Ian and the rest of the class back into the locker room. I found my locker and quickly stripped out of my sweating clothes and back into my jeans.

"So where were you last night?" Ian asked, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Karen's." I replied, pulling my own shirt over my head. "My sex life just got a whole lot easier now that her dad isn't living at her house anymore. Sheila's obliviousness works in my favor."

Ian chuckled, pulling his jacket on. "I'll see you and Emma at lunch." He patted my shoulder and headed off to his next class.

I was fixing my watch on my wrist while everyone else cleared out.

"She's an easy lay." I heard Kyle's annoyingly familiar voice say on the other side of the locker.

"I want cash, not pussy. You said if I asked the crip out you'd give me a hundred bucks." Finn replied, at least I thought that was Finn's voice. I mean I knew the guy was a tool, but I didn't think he was that big of a jackass.

After closing my locker, I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder, moving around the lockers so I could see who was talking. Sure enough Finn and Kyle were standing next to each other.

"Look, she's a guaranteed lay. Say a few nice things to her and she might give it up willingly." Kyle laughed, digging a hundred dollar bill out of his gym locker and handing it to Finn.

"What do I have to do?" Finn asked.

"Just get her to Ashton's party, alright?" Kyle said.

I walked around the locker and made my presence known.

Kyle smirked and slammed his locker shut. He patted Finn on the shoulder. "We'll talk later." He smacked into my shoulder as he passed by me.

I glared a Finn as he slipped his shirt on. He smirked at me. "What's up, Gallagher? You got a problem?"

Suddenly I felt immensely protective over Emma. I didn't know what the was going on, but I wasn't gonna let her get hurt again. I already let that happen once.

I stepped forward an stared at Finn, clenching my jaw shut. "I don't know what you and Kyle are cooking up, but if you hurt Emma Taylor, I'll make your life a living hell."

Finn laughed, like really laughed, tossing his head back and everything, pissing me the fuck off.

"Listen, Gallagher, I like you. I do, man. You're funny. You got a little hard on for the crip? Tell me," he leaned in close, "How is she? I hear she's shacking up with you, so give me the dirt? Is it tight?"

Before I knew what was happening my fist collided with Finn's jaw. Pain radiated up my hand and into my wrist. Finn fell back against the locker, clutching his chin, glaring at me.

I shook my hand out. "Stay away from her."

I headed out of the locker room. There was no way I was letting Emma go out with this prick.

a/n: so sorry this update took so long! Hope you liked this one!


	10. Chapter 10: Don't Go

Chapter 10

Emma's Point of View

Finn was running up the basketball court doing a layup, I think? Sports weren't really my thing. They were all a little too Neanderthal for my taste. Guys running and crashing into each other with some form of ball. I probably only felt that way about them because I've never been able to play an sports. I pressed the button on my camera and heard the shutter, capturing him dribbling the ball.

"How's this?" Finn called out, taking the basketball and spinning it on the tip of his index finger. He was obviously showing off for my benefit and I'm not gonna lie, I kind of liked it.

I'd had a crush on Finn for so long. But I knew he would never go for a girl like me. He dates girls that are like fine wine, not beer.

I couldn't help but smile at him though. He was incredibly charming when he wanted to be. Lip was charming too. The fact that I was thinking about Lip right now unnerved me a little. We were just joking around in the diner and on our walk home yesterday, but when he held my hand it felt…nice.

"The whole point is to pretend I'm not here, not look directly at the camera." I arched my eyebrow at him and snapped another photo, trying my best to hide my smile.

"The camera just calls to me." He smirked, walking towards me, tucking the basketball under his arm. "Did you get everything you needed for the yearbook?"

"I think so, yeah. Thanks for doing this." I smiled, putting my camera back in my bag, avoiding looking into his honey colored eyes. If I looked at them too long I was afraid I'd get lost in them. I was so stupid for even having a crush on this guy.

His father worked at some law firm for Chicago's elite, while his mom had her own interior design business. The watch on his wrist yesterday cost more than my entire wardrobe.

"So there's a party tonight that Shane Upton is throwing. It's his last hurrah before he moves to Michigan." Finn explained, tossing the ball between his hands. "It's gonna be at this old foreclosed house up in Hillcrest."

I scoffed. "You guys are totally project x'ing someone's house then?"

He grinned. "Something like that. Do you wanna go…with me?"

My eyes shot up to meet his for the first time. "You were serious about that the other day?" I felt heat creep up neck instantly.

"Yeah. Look, we could meet at Stella's, grab some food and head to the party from there? How's that sound? I'm an awesome date. Just ask around." Finn boasted. Okay, he was a bit full of himself, but aren't we all sometimes?

After everything that happened with Andrew I didn't if I was even ready to go out with a guy. But it would be nice to have fun. I could use the distraction, plus we'd be in public places the whole time.

"Sure, that sounds like a plan." I smiled.

Finn and I fell in stride next to one another as we walked towards the gyms exit. I glanced at him and noticed he had a nice bruise forming under his eye. "What happened to your face?"

He absently touched his cheek and shrugged. "Dodge ball in gym earlier got out of hand." He brushed it off, spinning the basket ball on his index finger again.

I nodded. We walked into the hall and I paused, turning to face him. "I'll see you tonight then?"

"Tonight." He gave me one of those bright cheeky grins that made me adore him in the first place.

•••••

Once I finished up in the photo lab I headed home, well, back to the Gallagher's, and decided to tear through all of my clothes to find something to wear tonight. Fiona's room looked like a literal bomb had gone off where I'd tossed clothing in every direction. I sat knelt on my knees on the floor, picking through what little clothes I had to choose from.

"This is pretty!" Debby smiled, holding up a t shirt that had the Cookie Monster on it. Yes, I owned a Cookie Monster t shirt and felt no shame. Maybe a little shame on that one.

I cringed inwardly. "I'll keep that as an option, but let's keep looking." I nodded, not wanting to reveal my true opinion and hurt her feelings. It was cute she was helping me. Debby had sort of become my shadow in the days I've been staying here.

The front door opened and slammed shut, laughter echoing up the stairs. After a moment Fiona and Veronica appeared at the doorway. I looked up and smiled sheepishly, embarrassed I'd wrecked Fiona's room. I honestly didn't even know why I even cared about going on this date. It was the last thing I needed to be worrying about. I needed to be worried about not wearing out my welcome here until I found somewhere else to live.

"What's going on here?" Veronica questioned, walking into the room and taking a seat on the bed next to Debby.

"It looks like a tornado blew into town." Fiona laughed, pushing a pile of clothes on the floor with her boot.

She leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Emma has a date!" Debby chimed in.

"Who's the lucky guy?" Veronica inquired, clearly intrigued.

I sighed and rubbed my neck. "His name is Finn. He's the star shooting guard. I don't know if I even wanna go though…"

Fiona walked into the room a bit more and glanced at Debby. "Hey, Debs, go check on the spaghetti noodles I put on the stove for dinner, yeah." Debby nodded and crawled off the bed, trudging through the clothes on the floor out of the room.

I smirked. "Sorry for the mess."

"Don't worry about it." Fiona waved it off as she knelt down on the floor across from me and started sifting through my clothes. "Why don't you wanna go on the date?"

"Well for starters I have nothing to wear and he's completely out of my league." I replied.

"Please, I ain't even seen this boy and already know you're the one out of his league." Veronica grinned.

"Come on, after everything you've been through, have some fun." Fiona tossed a shirt at me playfully. I laughed and caught it. "V and I will help you get ready."

I'd never had sisters growing up to help with boys. I never even had girlfriends really. The closest thing I had to a girlfriend was Mandy Milkovich.

"Alright, what the hell." I tossed my hands in the air.

Within an hour Fiona and Veronika had found me a decent outfit; a grey sweatshirt, floral skirt, leggings and boots. It was the perfect winter outfit according to Veronica. Fiona braided my hair into a sideways fishtail braid and helped me apply a light layer of makeup, something I didn't normally really wear.

I was staring at myself in the bathroom mirror astonished that you could hardly see the bruises on my face and lip with the make up on. I looked almost normal. Not like some foster kid freak with a crutch.

I hobbled out of the bathroom and noticed Lip and Ian's and Carl's door was ajar. I knocked on t and stuck my head inside. Ian looked up from the notebook he was writing in and grinned. "Smoke show alert." He laughed, making me toss a pair of balled up socks at him.

"Shut up." I laughed. "But really? I look okay?"

"You look great, Em's." He nodded. "Where you headed?"

"Out on a date." The words felt foreign coming out of my mouth. Could I really be the kinda girl that got dolled up and went on dates? "Finn asked me out."

"Nice." Ian nodded. "Have fun."

"Thanks. Where's Lip? I haven't seen him since we left for school this morning. He wasn't in Mr. Peters class either." I asked, a little worried he'd skipped.

"He's downstairs, I think." Ian informed me.

I nodded and headed down the back flight of stairs that led into the kitchen. Fiona was cooking at the stove. Debby was setting the table for dinner. The fridge door closed revealing Lip. He glanced at me and his eyes went wide a little. He gave me a noticeable once over and cleared his throat.

"Doesn't she look great, Lip?" Fiona nudged Lip with her elbow as she moved around him to get plates out of the cabinet.

"Yeah. You look great, really nice. You actually look like a girl." He smirked. "Guess Finn wasn't kidding?" He avoided making eye contact with me.

"Fuck you." I joked, following him into the living room.

"I'll see you guys later." I grabbed my coat off the sofa and pulled it on, then wrapped a scarf around my neck since it was snowing again.

I was about to head to the front door when I felt someone touch my arm. I turned to see Lips hand on me. "Look, I don't think you should go tonight."

"What, why?" My eyebrows knitted together out of confusion.

Lip thought for a moment, choosing his words wisely. "Because you can do better then some douchebag jockstrap who thinks that H20 and water are two separate things."

I rolled my eyes. "Lip, I'll admit he's a little dense, okay? But he seems sweet and he actually wanted to hang out with me. I'll be fine."

Lip blocked my path to the door and stared at me, popping his knuckles. I noticed his right hand was red and slightly swollen looking. Finn had a mark over his left cheek. It can't be related.

"Can you move?" I nudged his foot with my crutch.

"Don't go." He insisted again.

"What aren't you telling me?" I finally snapped, harsher than I wanted too.

"I overheard Finn and Kyle talking in the locker room after gym today. Kyles paying him to bring you out tonight. It's all a set up. I don't know what they have planned but it's not good."

A sick feeling grabbed ahold of my stomach and twisted it into knots. Of course it was too good to be true.

Lip lowered his eyes then met mine. He knew I was hurt but didn't know what to say. I didn't even know what the hell to say.

"I'm gonna go for a walk." I whispered, pushing past him and walking out the front door.

Cold air smacked me in the face as soon as I stepped foot on the porch. If Kyle and Finn wanted to conspire to set me up for something, they had another thing coming.


	11. Chapter 11: NOTE

Hey everyone!

Some of you may know already and some of you may not, but I fell out of my wheelchair about a week ago now. I just want to thank you for all your kind comments and continued support while I'm going through all of this. It's been confirmed that I broke my wrist AND my femur... not my knee as I was first told. I'm in a lot of pain and really wish that I could keep updating for you but even typing this much is causing me a lot of pain! I'm in casts and hopped up on painkillers atm. Docs say I'll be down 6-12 weeks because my bones are so brittle.

I want to thank you all again for the support and cannot wait to be fully healed and back up and writing again! Don't worry I will be taking all this resting time to come up with a whole bunch of new plot twists, ideas and drama that will make up for the missing updates!

Much love!

Jenn


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